


An Alpha's Jealousy (Book One in the A/B/O Dynamic Trilogy)

by YaoiLover66



Series: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics [1]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha!Niall, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Beta!Liam, Bottom!Harry, Bullying, Dominant!Niall, F/M, Graphic Description, Graphic Threats, Graphic Violence, HarryandLouisareBFF's, Insecurity, Jealousy, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mistrust, Omega!Harry, Part of the A/B/O Dynamics Series, Past Child Abuse, Possessive Behavior, Self-Denial, Self-Hatred, Seme!Niall, Seme/Dominant/Top!Liam, Uke!Harry, Uke/Submissive/Bottom!Louis, Werewolves, beta!Zayn, first installment, human!Louis
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-08-05
Packaged: 2018-07-29 10:01:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 57,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7680097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YaoiLover66/pseuds/YaoiLover66
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How can a simple emotion such as love ever penetrate this concrete wall that towers between us?</p><p>  Seventeen year old Harry Edward Styles looked forward to his eighteenth birthday. However, when the supposed-to-be fun day turns in to a nightmare, Harry is forced to overcome the numerous obstacles Destiny has placed in his path; one of those hurdles is nineteen year old Niall Horan: Harry's savage, vehemently possessive, hot-headed mate. Can love truly annihilate the self-built barriers forcing the two mates apart?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. An Alpha's Jealousy

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfiction is entirely fictitious and based on my wicked imagination; also, it can be found on my Wattpad account, "YaoiFangirl6." The link to this fanfiction is the following: https://www.wattpad.com/story/24098764-an-alpha%27s-jealousy-narry-storan
> 
> In addition, I am in no way implying Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, and Louis Tomlinson are in a relationship with one another.
> 
> Please enjoy, and thank you for reading! ♥

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How can a simple emotion such as love ever penetrated this concrete wall that towers between us?
> 
> Seventeen year old Harry Edward Styles looked forward to his eighteenth birthday. However, when the suppose-to-be fun day turns in to a nightmare, Harry is forced to overcome the numerous obstacles Destiny has placed in his path; one of those hurdles is nineteen year old Niall Horan: Harry's savage, vehemently possessive, hot-headed mate.
> 
> Can love truly annihilate the self-built barriers forcing the two mates apart?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "An Alpha's Jealousy," is a fanfiction that does NOT represent, reflect, or proof reality or rumors.

How can a simple emotion such as love ever penetrated this concrete wall that towers between us?

Seventeen year old Harry Edward Styles looked forward to his eighteenth birthday. However, when the suppose-to-be fun day turns in to a nightmare, Harry is forced to overcome the numerous obstacles Destiny has placed in his path; one of those hurdles is nineteen year old Niall Horan: Harry's savage, vehemently possessive, hot-headed mate.

Can love truly annihilate the self-built barriers forcing the two mates apart?


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the big day for Harry, and fate has a special present designed just for him-one that will change his life as he knows it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once more, AAJ is completely fictional and in no way does it represent the men who are forced to play these parts.
> 
> Bookmarks, kudos, and comments (especially comments) are greatly appreciated and warmly welcomed! <3

Fire.

 

Boiling, scorching flames.

 

That's what begins to consume my body as I lay helplessly in my bed, the covers long forsaken as the heat devouring the vulnerable, half-naked body exposed reaches an unbearable height.

 

"What a wonderful way to start of Tuesday!"

A bitter smile forms over my shiny glossed lips-after running my tongue over my lips so many times in order to ward off the dryness that seemed to try to constantly possess them, I would think they'd look shiny and glossy- at the direction my private thoughts turn to; Tuesday, a day that would've been ordinary had it not also been my birthday: something I had been greatly looking forward to, regardless of the fact that I knew I wouldn't do anything special or receive much.

 

But that was okay because I already had everything I wanted: a sassy yet loyal best friend, and a broken yet loving family.

 

An anguished scream cuts my thoughts short as the fire enters through the fine, greenish-blue veins popping out on my sweat slicked wrist; the blaze then rapidly begins slithering through my body like exuberant snakes, vigorously poisoning every cell and bone they sank their elongated teeth into.

 

Where did things go wrong? 

 

Through the haze of agony that was engulfing my quivering body the question races to the forefront of my mind, and along came with it a memory of yesterday-a day that had been normal. 

 

Green eyes fluttered open only to instinctively shut close as they met the piercing glare of sunlight that slithered through the cracks of my blinds.

 

"Harry, love," The voice of my mother filtered through the wooden door separating the hallway and my bedroom. "it's time to get up; breakfast is on the table, so hurry and get your butt down here. Do not make me come in there, understood mister?"

 

The groan that escaped my lips was the only answer my mother, Anne Cox, received as I began shuffling out of bed; after placing my feet on the freezing wooden floors, I quickly pushed my sluggish body of the bed and began dressing slowly while my limbs loudly protested against the work through sharp spasms of discomfort.

 

However, once my hooded emerald eyes flicked towards the blinking clock on my table, my snail movements turned erratic as my brain registered the few minutes I had to get to school on time.

 

Swiftly shoving on my shirt, not even noticing the fact that the tag was sticking out in the front, I struggled to button up my jeans while hopping down the stairs like a rabbit with one leg; when I ended up tripping on the bottom step and landed on my face, thankfully with no prominent injuries, I knew that luck wasn't on my side.

 

Flopping around like a fish out of water, nimble fingers managed to successfully pull up my zipper and button my jeans; my attention turned from my clothes to the kitchen, where an enticing aroma of breakfast wafted towards me.

 

Pushing my body off the floor, I dashed into the kitchen and grabbed a lightly browned toast smothered in butter, shoving the food into my mouth while searching for my shoes.

 

"I didn't know today was go to school with your shirt on backwards," Anne commented with barely contained amusement.

 

A muffled groan was the only reply she got as I wrestled with my shirt, letting out a triumphant shout once I had finally got the T-shirt on correctly; green eyes returned to their previous task of finding my shoes, discovering them under one of the chairs.

 

Grabbing them, slicked hands-the butter must have gotten on my hands while I ran around like a headless chicken-shoved the shoes over my feet before I turned to give my mum a goodbye kiss; I quickly high-tailed it out of the room, a cheeky grin coloring my lips at her shrieks of disgust-it's just a little bit of crumbs, mum-and amusement.

 

Green gem eyes turned to the watch on my wrist, my dash increasing its speed as I took in the hands and their position.

 

So in tune with making it to school on time, I briefly forgot my best friend and his love for tackling-until he attacked.

 

A gush of air escaped my lungs as I met the floor for the second time today, a moan of pain following that involuntarily released air.

 

"Lou off me," I gasped as I wiggled underneath the heavy weight of my best friend for ten years, Louis Tomlinson.

 

"Calling me a fatty, Hazzy?" A chirpy voice inquired, a threat underlying the seemingly sweet question.

 

"No heavy off please," I released a thankful cry when the body lying on top of me was removed, my chest heaving as it began inhaling the air it had missed.

 

"Finally!" I breathed before pushing myself off the tiled floor and rushing towards the metal locker that contained the items necessary for school.

 

"I'm not that fat!" Louis cried as he began pouting, plastering himself all over my back like an octopus while he sniffled playfully. "Hazzy, I'm not fat! I'm not!"

 

Heaving an exasperated sigh while trying to hide my growing smile, I kept my face forward and buried inside my locker. 

 

"No, lou, you're not fat," I soothed my dramatic best friend.

 

"Of course I'm not," Lou agreed, flicking his hair-though he didn't have that much hair-exaggeratedly before focusing on the problem at hand. "So, what's got you so strung up?"

 

"If you may have not already noticed-and given the number of your blood cells, I'm beginning to think that's the case," A snicker left my lips at his protest before I continued. "If you may have not noticed, you and I are late."

 

"That's not something to be so tense about," Lou muttered, his pout returning as I smacked him on the back of his head.

 

"Unlike you, I do have a problem with getting detention," I pointed out, shutting my locker door before walking towards my first class.

 

"You wound me, Hazza," Louis gripped his chest as if mortally wounded in that area. "and here I thought you enjoyed having detention with moi. After all, it's just another excuse for us to spend some quality time together, no?"

 

"One of the reasons teacher's watch us like a hawk when they see us together," I muttered before playfully flicking the arm Lou had slung over my shoulder, yet I made no attempts to remove the appendage.

 

Louis burst into chortles as he threw his head back; the laughter washes over me like a gentle rain: soothing and reassuring.

 

Before the memory could continue, a sharp searing pain yanks me out as a deafening crack resonates through the room.

 

The bones once holding my arm upright and in place have just snapped in half, the limp limb now dangling on the outskirts of my bed.

 

Affliction races across my perspiring body as my delirious brain registers the broken arm.

 

The torment suddenly amplifies as my mind and lucid thoughts-thoughts scarce in numbers, I might add- overreact, all the stress and trauma adding up until it overflowed without any warning.

 

I'm going to die!

 

I'm going to die!

 

Terror grips my heart at my distraught thoughts of impending death and begins constricting the harshly thumping organ like a boa constrictor, anxiety overriding any sensible thought I might have had.

 

I'm going to die!

 

I'm goin' to die!

 

I'm goin' to die!

 

I'm gonna die!

 

I'm gonna die!

 

I'm gonna 

 

Darkness suddenly overcomes my vision as a burst of lava rushes over my transparent clammy skin; all the suffering I had experienced since I had awoken from sleep instantly disappearing as I fall into oblivion.

 

But one last thought remains, reminding me even in bliss the hell I had faced.

 

Die.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Although I am not certain how many chapters AAJ will have, I do know this fan fiction will have chapters two, three, four, five, and six up as soon as I am able to obtain my laptop.
> 
> Thank you for reading and understanding! <3


	3. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry learns a few unexpected, hidden information about his biological father and himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "An Alpha's Jealousy," is made-up of 100% imagination and 0% reality.

"Ry!"

 

A female voice, gentle yet stricken with concern, loudly cries out my name; the sudden unexpected noise instantly sparks life inside my graveyard mind.

 

"Arry!"

 

Mom? Is that you?

 

Through the haze that circles and settles over the pink muscle inside my skull, I silently guess the identity of the person calling out my name.

 

"Harry!"

 

My stiff body suddenly jerks up as my name is screamed-which has the discomfort that was rapidly consuming my body turn into an ear ringing agony-in my ear, glossy and bloodshot green eyes flying open as a flare of pain races across the top of my forehead after colliding with another's forehead.

 

"O     Ow!" A tormented whine escapes my cracked lips as transparent, clammy hands fly to protect the wounded area while tears suddenly pool in the emerald sea that was my eyes.

 

"Oh, my poor baby!" Anne Cox, my mum, screeches-that loud voice didn't help either as it only added to the anguish my ears were feeling at that moment-before pulling me into a tight embrace, hands flying over my head to soothe and inspect me for any injuries.

 

As soon as I was in her arms-which were just as transparent and clammy as mine, I notice- the raindrops that pooled in my emerald orbs and the pain that devoured my kink filled body vanishes in an instant.

 

Inhaling a deep breath, my senses are immediately overloaded with numerous unknown scents: a soft floral aroma that seemed particular strong around my mum; the pungent scent of water and salt that lazily storms the air in no specific direction; and a thick, musky scent-a smell I couldn't decipher or place-that was shifting and pacing outside my room.

 

About to shrug off the heightened sense of smell, my nostrils flare quickly when I catch a whiff of the same musky scent-one that seemed nearer and more dominant than what I had previously made it to be-that, as soon as it reaches my nose, had me whimpering and cowering in my mum's arms.

 

It was bewildering, to say the least, when the sudden need to flop on my back and expose my neck and stomach surges up within me.

 

The scorching need was so strong that I actually started to do exactly what my instincts screams to do.

 

However, before I can complete my flopping instinct, I'm stopped by my mum's voice who quickly soothes my fearful whimpers with placating touches and hugs while hissing towards the wooden door-my bedroom door, I suddenly realize, only different: instead of just wood, I notice all the cracks lining it's aged frame along with spots that were darker than other places-in a voice that resonates in my ears:

 

"I told you to stay back, Robin! Don't make me come out there because I swear to god I will-"

 

"Okay, okay!" A male voice-my half lucid mind recognizes the voice belonging to my step-father, a man I consider a father in all but blood, yet something inside me recognizes it as an alpha, a term I never associated with Robin before-snaps in return.

 

The vexed tone causes a petrified whimper mixed with a terrified sob to escape the desert lips covering my mouth as I cower into my bloodstained-wait, blood? Where did the blood come from? What's going on?- sheets, my conscious suddenly shoved aside and taken over by another presence.

 

A presence that was stronger than me, more sensitive than me-a presence that wasn't me.

 

"I    I'm s    sorry!" As my conscious is dragged underneath murky waters, a place where everything is disorientated, my ears are able to pick up the uncontrollable words falling out of the mouth-the lips moving certainly were not mine! The words, the motions, none of those were things I was saying! It's as if it's my body but not me in control!- laying on my face. "I    I'm s    sorry! I    I'm s    sorry! I    I w    won't d    do i    it a    again! I    I'm s    sorry!"

 

Constant hiccups-ones that shake my body like a leaf in the wind-cut through the insistent babbling falling out of the mouth laying on my face.

 

Sticky snot-painted a disgusting yellowish-green color, judging by the droplets that lands on my sheets- runs down my face along with salty tears that began falling as soon as the thing conquered my mind.

 

"I    I'm s    sorry! I    I'm s    sorry!"

 

Why couldn't I stop the words?

 

Why couldn't I stop the tears?

 

Why?

 

Why?

 

Struggling to escape the swampy monster's suffocating grip, I futilely try pushing the thing away only to have a force greater than my own put me back in my previous place.

 

Only this time, instead of staying conscious and losing my bearings, oblivion sweeps me off my feet and into a world of nothing.

 

**~**

 

The second time I wake up not only am I bombarded with thousands of scents-the most prominent ones being salt, water, and a metallic scent-but I was also assaulted by a bear hug from yours truly, Anne.

 

"Oh, honey! Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you? I'm so, so sorry about Robin! I told him to stay away but he was so worried about you and-and-" The tidal wave of words from my mum comes rolling in and knocking me straight off my feet, throwing all previous thoughts about aromas out into the never ending sea.

 

"I    It's o    okay," Brown eyebrows furrow as my words come out stuttered and soft-uncertain and hesitant.

 

When did I lose all my confidence?

 

Grasping at straws that keep pulling themselves out of reach, I attempt to clear the fuzzy feeling-a haze that hinders all thoughts, all questions, everything-that lay over the inside of my skull like an unwanted ghost.

 

Parch lips open and close as my internal struggle goes on for some time, leaving my mum to worry-her eyes were glowing and that usually meant she was worried, stressed, about to cry, or happy; judging by the situation, I'm going with worry and stressed-even more.

 

"Harry, love, what's wrong?" Anne inquires as she leans back and examines me for the second time that day-what day is it, anyway? I remember I remember my birthday. It was my birthday, I was sick and then in excruciating pain and then nothing. So, what day was it then?-with concern etched all over her wrinkled face.

 

Black eyelashes flutter with a speed unknown to me as I finally take in my mum's face, which looked as if it had aged fifty years plus another fifty years for all the stress coloring her face and eyes.

 

"Harry?" My attention snaps away from Anne's aged face and to her eyes that gazed at me.

 

My tongue swipes out and finally wets my dry lips, which cry out in relief, as I fought to organize my questions.

 

What did I want to ask?

 

How about why does mum look so old?

 

How about why my senses are a lot stronger than they were yesterday?

 

What was yesterday's date anyway?

 

A moan, which came out more like a whine, of aggravation escapes my mouth as my sedated brain is viciously attacked by more questions than I could handle in my vulnerable-how did I even get in this kind of state? Oh wonderful, another question-state.

 

"Harry, love, what's wrong?" My mum sobs in despair as she shakes me, her green iris' belying how frazzled her and her nerves was.

 

"Q    Questions," I whimper out as my hands clamp over my temples like vice grips, hoping that the barriers would keep any more questions from entering my mind. "S    so m    many."

 

Realization dawns on Anne's face once she understands the cause for my frustration.

 

"Breathe in slowly, love, and exhale," Mum forcefully commands while her hands gently run through the mop that I call "hair". "In, out; in, out. In, out."

 

Doing as told, pink lips part and inhale a deep bucket of air before releasing it; inhaling once more, I exhale and continue to do so until all feelings of irritation leaves my body-which causes said body to tumble right into my mum's open arms; I guess my body was so weakened by well, whatever happened, that it couldn't stand anymore stress added to it-and clears my mind.

 

Thoughts now organized and security cocooning me like a warm blanket, I begin asking the first question-the one that's plagued my head since I experienced that trauma, the one on my birthday.

 

"W    What h    happened t    to m    me?"

 

Hearing a heavy sigh escape my mum's lips, I raise my head inquiringly with bafflement painted all over my face.

 

"M    Mum?" I call out Anne's name hesitatingly, a thick apprehension suddenly grabbing my heart as my mind begins racing in circles. "I    I'm s    sorry! I    I d    didn't m mean t    to u    upset y    you!"

 

"No! No not at all, honey, oh dear I am so sorry!" Anne apologizes quickly as she rocks me slowly while her hands take turns patting my head and back. "Don't ever be sorry, love, that was my fault! I knew you were going to ask that, but I was worried about how I was going to answer your question."

 

"I    Is i    it b    bad?" My question is soft as my anxiety gradually calms down only to spike back up when my thoughts turn in a dark direction-what if it's a virus that cannot be cured? What if I'm going to die in a few days?

 

My lips part as I begin rapidly inhaling and exhaling air shallowly, green eyes beginning to glow with terror as my heart rate increases tenfold.

 

As blood starts rushing through my ears, filling it with only the sound of my fast beating heart, my form begins trembling like a dog left in the snow.

 

"Ry!" My mum's voice breaks through the blood but does nothing to stop the angst demolishing what little lucidity I had finally gained after days of anguish and bewilderment.

 

"Harry!" When hands harshly grip my shoulders and shake me, I finally snap out of my despair and come back to reality. "Breathe, love, breathe! You're fine, you're fine! It's nothing serious, I swear, it's just you being a werewolf-an Omega at that!-and that isn't anything bad; however, I really wish your biological father would've checked a hell a lot harder than he did to see if you or Gemma was a werewolf because he said you weren't and-"

 

"W    Wait! W    Werewolf?" I gasp out, finally snapping out of my pit of misery as my head starts spinning-so fast I swear I saw my thoughts fly right out my ear-from the information overload. "W    What a    are y    you t    talking a    about?"

 

Anne heaves a sigh as she sends a soft yet sad smile in my direction while carding her fingers through my tangled, curly brown hair.

 

"You are a werewolf, Harry," Mum explains as she lays my head against her shoulder, never stopping her loving caress. "You most likely got it from your biological father, who was a werewolf as well-a beta, to be exact."

 

"B    Beta?" The term brings perplexity to me as I rack my brain for any definition associated with the word.

 

"Oh, this is going to be so confusing," Anne hysterically chuckles, eyes wide and a smile forcefully stretched over her thin lips.

 

Noticing my hurt and baffled expression, mum quickly mends her previous mistake.

 

"I'm sorry, baby, I didn't mean anything bad by that; what I meant was that I never expected to have this conversation with you because, well, I thought you would never become a werewolf," Anne sighs, her hands pulling away from my hair to scrub her face as if it wash away all the tension. "I'm going to try to explain everything bit by bit, but I need you to keep any questions you have until the end."

 

Once I give her my silent agreement through a slow nod, I ready myself for the explanation that will no doubt change all the things I've known.

 

"Okay, here we go," Anne inhales a deep breathe before launching into her speech.

 

"When I first met your biological father, I was a naive girl who was oblivious to the Other World that existed; that other world held things that were supposed to be mythical, fake, it held things that only certain people had the fortune-or unfortunate, however you look at it-of seeing."

 

Emerald green eyes owlishly watch my mum stop to breathe before continuing the story-something I was rapidly getting sucked into.

 

"Your biological father was part of that Other World, something I was not aware of until the end of our second year of being together. He told me, said: "Anne, you're most likely not going to believe me, but I have every intention of spending the rest of my life with you and I want those years to be filled with joy and honesty-not with lies and mistrust." I laughed and told him to get on with it, and he says: "I'm a werewolf." I nearly chocked on my saliva and, after regaining control, told him I didn't believe that. You want to know what he did?"

 

"W    What?" I ask as mum's eyes peer into mine, the words of the story unraveling a silky thread that wraps around my body in a snug hold-pulling me in, enchanting me with each phrase.

 

"He took me into a nearby forest and shifted from a man to a werewolf," Anne answers, a misty smile painted over her lips as a faraway look passed over her face.

 

My lips stay closed as I let the memories roll over her, silently yet eagerly waiting for the next part.

 

"A    And?" The excitement, no longer able to be contained, spills out of my lips as I watch my mum come back to the present.

 

"And after that, I was introduced to the Other World," Anne states, grinning at my expression-which was no doubt splashed in disappointment at the anticlimactic ending-before continuing.

 

"I was given a chance to stay in This World, but I wanted to be with your father-even if he did turn into a wolf every full moon. Not shortly after, we got married and Gemma was born; your father told me, a day after Gemma was born, that she could potentially be a werewolf-any child we had could contract the werewolf gene; I was perfectly fine with the possibility of Gemma becoming a werewolf because I was assured by the fact that, if she did contract the gene, she'd have your father to teach her what to do. However, your father said that Gemma wasn't a werewolf-and before you give me that bewildered look, your father explained that he was confident of this fact because werewolves have a certain scent that distinguishes them from humans. I asked the same thing, which is why your father explained that-and when you were born, he said the same thing: you weren't a werewolf."

 

"T    Then w    why a    am I    I o    one?" The question slips out before I can hold it back, a flinch snapping my head back while a regretful whimper escapes the pink lips covering my mouth. "S    Sorry."

 

"Don't be sorry, love, your confusion is completely understandable," Anne eases the fears that suddenly popped up, carding her fingers through the bush on top of my head. "Unfortunately, it's also something I cannot answer."

 

"W    Why?" With my eyebrows furrowing in incomprehension, I tilt my head to the side while gazing up at Anne from my position on her shoulder.

 

"Because not even I know, sweetheart," Anne sighs with melancholy coloring her tone. "Your father said, with absolute certainty, that neither you nor Gemma was a werewolf; when Gemma turned eighteen and nothing happened, I thought you'd be the same. Boy was I wrong!"

 

Anne burst out in peal of giggles that belies her inner turmoil.

 

Frowning at mum's tone, I nuzzle her neck-an instinctive reaction that I did subconsciously-while letting out a purr that was meant to be soothing.

 

Chuckling, a sound that was sincere this time, Anne smiles in thanks and wraps her arms around my waist, an action which instantly made me notice how feminine it was: it was slim and curved and shaped like an hourglass, fragile yet strong-before pulling me into a hug.

 

After a few moments of family love, I begin asking my questions-starting with the changes, which were very very noticeable, that I noticed on my body.

 

"W    Why a    am I    I s    so f     feminine?"

 

Anne shifts uncomfortably as she worries her bottom lip between her teeth.

 

"Honestly, love, I'm not exactly certain as to why you're stomach and hips are more feminine," Mum honestly replies, her smile softening in an apologetic grimace. "I can only guess the reason may be because you're an Omega."

 

"W    What d    does b    being a    an O    Omega e    even m    mean?" Another question escapes the prison that is my mouth.

 

"I don't know, love," Anne sighs as she shrugs helplessly. "Your biological father, you see, came from a family where he was the only werewolf; no one taught him how to handle his transformation or what the dynamics in a pack were-he learnt that all on his own. However, for all his knowledge, your father lacked information in one specific area."

 

"W    What a    area i    is t    that?" Anne grins at my question, quickly responding with an answer I suspected.

 

"Omegas. Your biological father only knew a few things about Omegas: they had white fur, and they are very rare; he told me these facts when I asked if werewolves had omegas-since werewolves are like wolves in a way, I wondered if they had similar dynamics and such. It's because of your biological father's information that I was able to identify what type of werewolf you are: your fur- which, from what I saw during your transformation, is a lovely shade of snow on the ground-was what clued me in to what type of wolf you are."

 

Letting this new-found knowledge digest, emerald green eyes close as I sag against my mum while allowing a comfortable silence to settle in the room.

 

"S    So, G    Gemma's n    not a    a w    werewolf?" I ask, my eyes firmly staying closed as if to deny the unfairness that was my life-after all, Gemma wasn't a werewolf, but I was!

 

"Yes, Gemma is not a werewolf," Anne confirms, waiting for me to continue-which I did so, after opening my eyes.

 

"A    And I    I'm a    a O    Omega, t    the r    rarest w    werewolf?" Another question escapes my lips, only to receive another "yes" from mum.

 

"A    And I    I'm m    more f    feminine a    and n    nervous a    as a    a r    result o    of b    being a    an O    Omega?" I inquire, waiting for my mum to confirm that one as well-which she did with a firm nod.

 

"M    Me s    stuttering i    is a    also a    a r    result o    of b    being a    an O    Omega?" Once more, mum nods her head.

 

"T    The t    thing i    inside m    me, t    the p    presence, i    is b    because I    I'm a    an O    Omega?"

 

"The presence you feel inside you is your wolf," Anne corrects. "At least, that's what your father said: "the wolf is like another human being that you can't see but hear-a presence felt but not touched." He explained that after I asked what it was like having a wolf inside him."

 

A year end sigh escapes its slick liquid prison-also known as my mouth-as a drum begins pounding in my temples, everything suddenly becoming all too real.

 

This was really happening: I was an Omega, the rarest of all werewolves-the wolf no one knew anything about.

 

Wonderful, I wonder what I'm supposed to do now: go to a library and say, "Oh, hey, I just recently turned and found out I'm an Omega! Do you have any books on that?"

 

I'd be sent to an asylum faster than you can say, "Crazy."

 

"W    What d    day i    is i    it?" Exhaustion colors my tone as I turn my focus on a safe topic-one that wouldn't make me feel as if the ground beneath my feet was crumbling and falling apart.

 

"Wednesday, the day after your birthday-which was on a Tuesday, the specific date being February second- and transformation," Anne answers, grinning at my surprised expression. "What? Did you expect it to be a week after your birthday?"

 

"From how many times I passed out? Yes," I silently thought but nodded my head nonetheless-I wasn't going to speak, not when my words would just come out all scrambled.

 

"You probably feel that way because you slept the rest of Tuesday away due to the trauma you went through as a result of your transformation-which, from what I saw, was excruciating-that happened on your birthday," Anne theorizes, nodding her head unconsciously. "In addition, you did sleep for some time today and also fainted, which explains your disorientation."

 

You sure it wasn't from the transformation? After all, it was an agonizing experience, I'm quite confident it could knock a couple hundred brain cells right out.

 

Shaking my head to rid the sarcasm my inner thoughts took on, I force a smile at my mum as I nod my head once more to show my agreement with her explanation.

 

"Is there any other questions you'd like to ask, love?" Mum turns to me, patiently waiting for me to sort through my thoughts.

 

"I    I h    have t    two m    more q    questions," The last two questions was the most important, and as they left my lips I knew they would decide what course my life would take. "O    One, i    is t    there a    a c    cure f    for b    being a    a w    werewolf, o    or a    am I    I s    stuck s    shifting i    into a    a w    werewolf?"

 

"There isn't a cure," Anne replies, going forward once she noticed my dejected expression. "However, you do have the choice of shifting. If you want to be a werewolf, just shift constantly; if you don't want to be a werewolf, don't shift. The only problem would be times of the full moon when, regardless if you want to be a werewolf or not, you would shift instinctively."

 

Taking mum's word for what it was, I was pleased to hear I didn't have to be werewolf should I not want to be-and I really did not want to be a wolf, especially if I had to go through that transformation again.

 

My brows crinkle when the thing-wolf, I correct-whimpers as the thought of me not being a werewolf.

 

Shrugging off the bafflement I felt and the whimper the thing-wolf made, I continue walking in the direction my thoughts were taking me in.

 

However, if I was doomed to shift even if I did not want to then what was the point of not being a werewolf?

 

And what if each transformation that takes place on the full moon is painful not because I'm shifting from man to were but because my body isn't used to constantly shifting?

 

What if being a werewolf saves me from a world of pain?

 

Heaving a grand sigh, my head subconsciously shakes side to side while the thing-wolf, I correct once more lets out a purr of satisfaction at the thought of me being a werewolf-which made me not want to be a werewolf all the more.

 

Who would want to live with something, another presence with a mind of its own, inside their body-a soul that had powers greater than the vessel's, skills that overpowered the vessel's and allowed the soul to control the vessel as they pleased?

 

Who would desire this-being nothing but a mere puppet? Because I certainly do not!

 

"What's your second question?" Mum's soothing voice brings me out of my gloomy thoughts, emerald green eyes re-focusing on the person holding me.

 

"A    Are t    there a    any i    information o    on O    Omega's b    besides t    the o    ones y    you a    already k    know?" My last question has me sitting up straight-or as straight as I can while staying in my mum's arms-as I eagerly anticipate the response.

 

Only for it to be something that had my hopes crushed: "No, there is not any more information on Omegas-none that I'm aware of, anyway, Harry."

 

With my jaw on the floor and tongue hanging out, I gaze at my mum in disbelief.

 

"Y    You c    can't b    be s    serious! T    There h    has t    to b    be s    some i    information o    on O    Omegas!" I screech in outrage-only to instantly regret it when the razor blades lodged inside my throat scrap against the sensitive skin-as agitation begins possessing my heart and mind.

 

"If there is, love, then I'm not aware of it," Mum attempts to ease my tension with placating words and circles rubbed into my back; however, I didn't want to be placated like some spoiled child and as such I shied away from the touch. "I only know what you're biological father told me."

 

Disappointment and despondency take its wrongful-or at least, that what the thing-wolf growled-place as my alpha, my eyes dulling and dropping to the floor.

 

"Baby," Mum begins but I cut her off, wanting to wallow in my self-pity alone and without any judgement.

 

"C    Can I    I b    be a    alone f    for a    a c    couple o    of m    minutes, m    mum?" The voice that comes out of my mouth is quiet and void of any emotion. "I I n need t time t to d digest."

 

Anne sighs but nods with understanding shining in her eyes, beginning to untangle her arms from around my waist.

 

"Okay, love, just call me if you need me," Mum murmurs as she stands up, dropping a kiss on my now dry forehead-a touch I allow but make no move in recognizing-before exiting the room.

 

As soon as the door was closed, I throw myself down on my pillows only to rear back as the stench of salt and iron violently-and not at all welcomed, I might add- invades my nose; gagging, I push my body out of my bed-which I swore would be cleaned until it was spotless and odorless-and stand on trembling legs.

 

Taking a deep shaking breath, I slowly begin lifting up my right foot before placing it back down on the floor a few feet away from my previous spot; turning my attention onto my left foot, I repeat the same actions and start teaching myself how to walk all over again.

 

It's when I catch sight of something out of the corner of my eye do I stop walking, turning my head only to realize that "something" was my mirror-a mirror that reflected an image that had me internally shrieking.

 

Instead of a tall 5'11 figure mirrored in the crystal glass, my eyes caught a vision of a slim, short, 5'4 male.

 

I shrunk!

 

I    shrunk!

 

Turning my head so fast I nearly got whiplash, I turn my focus onto something that wouldn't cause me any form of distress.

 

Jewel colored eyes land on my laptop-the head of the laptop was open yet the screen dark, clearly telling me I had shut it off the last time I used it-and as soon as the computer comes into view, all emotions fade away as my light bulb lights up.

 

The computer means internet; the internet means facts; facts means information; information means I get to know more about what being an Omega entails!

 

Feeling a spark of joy-something I hadn't felt for what seems like forever-ignite deep within my chest, I hurriedly scramble on over to the technology that could very well save my life.

 

Repeatedly hitting the power button, impatience floods through my veins as I wait for my computer to turn on; once the screen lights up, I log in and quickly get down to business.

 

Opening a browser-I didn't care which one it was, Internet Explorer or Google Chrome, just as long as it let me search for my information then I was happy-I click the search bar and type, "Omega Facts." Tan fingers randomly click on a site with excitement and hope racing through my body.

 

Glowing eyes fly across the screen, devouring every word that it came across only to come to a screeching halt when I finally take notice of a certain pattern on the site: Omega's were nothing but punching bags-a wolf for the other wolves to relieve stress on-and and-

 

A vile taste suddenly claws at my throat, blocking valuable air and filling it with poison, as my eyes burn in disbelief and anger at the next words to describe my kind: prostitutes.

 

"Omegas are the weakest wolves in a wolf pack; the only reason they are kept around is because they make good punching bags and good body's to tumble around with."

 

Those words, from the site I just clicked on, carve themselves in flames on my brain- never to be dismissed, never to be forgotten.

 

A muffled sob escapes my lips, bringing my lost mind back to Earth, as tears-which smelt just like my pillow did with the salt and water, I subconsciously noted- begin rolling down my cheeks when I finally realize the fate I was doomed to.

 

I would be nothing but a prostitute and a punching bag.

 

Trembles rack my form as a mournful howl leaves my lips, my insides tearing apart as the thing-the presence I had forgotten momentarily, the wolf-echoes my misery and anguish.

 

Slumping over in my chair, I pitifully whine and whimper in desolation while crying tears that fill the room with salt and sob with open mouth hiccups.

 

Yet through all the sorrow, one steady-one firm-thought brought my determination to the front:

 

I will    never    be an Omega.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! ♥ Bookmarking, kudoing, and commenting is both greatly appreciated and warmly welcomed. ^-^
> 
> Also, you may have noticed that, when Harry speaks, his words are spaced; this is a literary technique used for two reasons: to represent stutters, and to emphasize words. 
> 
> When trying to figure out which space is used for which purpose, look at the context: if the words are placed inside quote marks and they're spaced, then they symbolize a stutter; if the words are placed either inside quote marks during a person's thoughts or any where else besides quote marks, then the spacing symbolizes emphasis.
> 
> Example: "Lou's silly, but he's my best mate," Harry thinks. 
> 
> In the example above, the word "best" is spaced because it is part of Harry's thoughts and emphasized.
> 
> Another example: "I I w want t to r return n normal," Harry sobs. 
> 
> In the example above, Harry's sentence is spaced because he is stuttering.
> 
> If there is any confusion from this explanation, please let me know and I'll do my best to clarify the concept.
> 
> In addition to the spacing, you will see this symbol-"~"-throughout the chapter; "~" represents a page break, meaning a time skip will occur.
> 
> Once more, please alert me if you have any questions or are confused; thank you! ♥


	4. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry's resolved to never be or accept being an Omega, but Destiny's not through with him yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAJ is a fanfiction made up by my yaoi mind, so neither does the plot nor the characters accurately portray reality.

I'm a monster.

 

I'm a monster.

 

I'm a monster.

 

Feeling that too familiar sensation of tears springing in the back of my eyes, I quickly rub at my watery jewels and sniffle pathetically.

 

You just had to go and scare my best mate, didn't you?

 

Hearing a whimper, one that was covered in agony and one I bluntly ignored, in response to the harsh cutting tone I had used to talk to that thing, remorse swells up like a bruise.

 

Or a broken nose.

 

Doing a complete one-hundred eighty degrees, I return to my previous state of self-loathing as I recall yesterday's excruciating events.

 

"Bunch of fags," A tall individual muttered as he passed by Louis and I while we walked towards our first class; he "accidentally" knocked in to Lou, which caused my best mate to stagger and collide-rather harshly, I might add-straight in to the lockers.

 

The metal lockers.

 

Before I even knew what to do, a new odor, which was pungent and smoky, swirled through the air and rammed straight into my nose. In just a few seconds, mere moments that my brain couldn't even comprehend, I went from being by Lou's side to being on top of the culprit who dared to lay a hand on my cub.

 

Without a warning, my conscious is yanked back as the thing takes full control.

 

"    Never,"    The voice that came out of my mouth was lower than mine and smothered in fury and murderous intent. "    ever    touch my cub    again!"

 

With horror curling around my waist, I watched in shock and disgust as the fists attached to the body I used to be in control of began violently and relentlessly assaulting the male's face.

 

The attacks not controlled by my will continued to come even as blood began squirting out of the man's nose; and, with a vile taste rising in the back of my throat, I noticed that the blood coming out of the male's nose was spraying both the floor and the fists hitting him with a dark crimson liquid.

 

Even when the fragile bones inside the male's nose began to collapse, the thing still struck its victim.

 

I couldn't    stop.

 

I couldn't     scream.

 

I couldn't do a single      thing      because I wasn't the leader or the brain any more.

 

The    thing    was.

 

A strident beep brakes through my recollection of yesterday's events; emerald green eyes turn towards my phone, which was now lit up and flashing with the following words: "New Message from Lou."

 

Brown eyebrows furrow in confusion as I silently contemplate Lou's motives for messaging me on a Friday night before giving in to the succubus that was curiosity; grabbing the medium sized device, I quickly enter the password and read Lou's message: "Wanna catch a movie with me? I'm sure there's something tht will bring out the wolf in u!"

 

Grimacing at the animal Lou mentioned, I swiftly squash down all feelings of resentment before responding: "Sure; I'd like 2 catch a movie with u. Let me ask mum first, ok? I may be 18 and a legal adult, but I still want mum 2 know where I'm at so she doesn't worry. Also, no mentioning tht    thing,    ok?"

 

After sending the message, I roll out of bed, throw the door open, walk towards the top of the steps, and call out for mum.

 

"Yes?" Mum appears at the bottom of the stairs and gazes upwards at me. "Is there something you need, Harry?"

 

"Y     Yeah; L    Lou a    and I    I w    want t    to g    go t    to t    the m    movies. I    Is t   that o    okay w    with y    you?" Once more, I squash down the resentment that had risen to the surface upon hearing that all too familiar stutter; turning my focus on Anne, I shift from one foot to another as I patiently-and nervously because the frown and obvious concern on mum's face evoked feelings of uneasiness within me-wait for her response.

 

"You know I love you, right?" Anne suddenly yet slowly responds, regaining my attention that had wondered towards the walls after an eternity of silence.

 

I nod my head to show I did know that mum loved me.

 

"You know I only want the best for you, right? You know I only want to keep you safe, right?" Anne continues with the questions that set my nerves on fire.

 

"M    Mum y    you're s    scaring m    me w    with a    all t    these q    questions!" Nerves fried and terror gripping my heart, I let out a quivering whine that had mum rushing up the steps and enveloping me in her arms.

 

"I am so,    so    sorry, baby!" Mum profusely apologizes as she rocks us on her heels. "I didn't mean to scare you, love, honest! I was unsure of how you'd react to my answer, so I was trying to remind you that I loved you and such!"

 

My attention zoomed in on the word "answer," yet I was unable to pursue the curiosity evoked from the word due to my inability to speak words.

 

Anne rocked us back and forth on her heels, and she whispered soothing words in my ear; gradually, the fear lessened its grip over both my heart and mind, and I was able to finally form actually words instead of whines. "I    I u    understand, m    mum; w    what's y    your a    answer, b    by t    the w    way?"

 

"My answer," Anne speaks softly, gently, as if a loud voice would somehow manage to shatter me in to a million pieces. "is: are you sure you want to go to the movies? You have to realize, Harry, that you're no longer human; you're a wolf. This means noisy places such as movie theaters may irritate you and cause you pain; in addition to that, I honestly have no idea how you're wolf will respond to being surrounded by strangers."

 

Feelings of annoyance creeps up on me as I noticed mum's gentleness-it's not like I'm a porcelain doll! I am human and am perfectly capable of standing on my own two feet without having someone hover over me!-and they only grew stronger as mom mentioned the cause for my resentment.

 

"D    Don't s    say t    that t    thing's c    classification!" Although fury was written over every word I spoke, the stutter only made my outrage sound like a tiny hissing kitten soaked in water, which only served to vex me further. "I    I'm s    still m    me! J    Just b    because I    I h    have t    that t    thing i    inside m    me d    doesn't m mean I    I h    have t    to c    change m    my l    lifestyle!"

 

Ripping out of mum's arms, I storm back inside my room and slam the door shut, reveling in the bang it created; I grab my phone and begin typing in a response: "I'm going 2 the movies with u."

 

I don't have to wait long before I receive a reply: "Awesome! I'm outside right now."

 

Throwing the black device, enclosed in an orange case, on the slightly rumpled bed covers, I chuck off the T-shirt and pajama pants and trade them in for a nice, clean, white button up shirt and black skinny jeans. After getting dressed, I proceed to walk in to my bathroom, attempt to tame my curly mane, use mouthwash, brush my teeth, and then exit the bathroom; grabbing a pair of socks from my drawer, I put the white cotton on my feet and slip on my converses.

 

I grab my phone, slide open my bedroom window, and jump out the window that was a foot off the ground. Without sparing a glance towards my home, I dash towards Lou's car parked in the driveway and slip inside.

 

"D    Drive!" The command comes out with that despicable stutter, yet the tone and urgency remains the same in my command.

 

Lou gives me a baffled look before starting the car and backing out of the driveway; I make sure I don't look back towards the house we leave behind because I knew that if I did look, then I'd tell Lou to stop and run back to apologize to mum.

 

"Well, I did act rude, but the blame does not fall entirely on me; mum shouldn't be making me into a fragile boy that will suddenly get trampled on by even a gentle gust of wind!" Pink lips thin into a firm line as I fall deeper into my outrage at being made into a fragile boy by none other than my mum; however, before I can become too consumed by my anger, Lou breaks the thick silence that had settled over the car.

 

"What was that all about, Haz? You and Anne get into a fight?" Lou flicks his blue eyes towards me before returning them towards the road; in that moment, even though it was dark inside the car, I caught a glimpse of concern shining in those watery jewels.

 

"Y    Yeah," I reply as I put on my seat belt and settle into the passenger seat. "I    I a    asked m    mum i    if I    I c    could g    go t    to t    the m    movies w    with y     you, a    and s    she d    didn't r    reply f    for q    quite s    some t    time; s    so, I    I s    started g    getting w    worried b    because s    she w    was a    asking m    me a    all t    these q    questions a    and t    then I    I h    had a    a l    little b    breakdown. A    After c    calming d    down, m    mum b    began t    talking t    to m    me l    like I    I w    was s    some p    porcelain d    doll t   that w    would b    be b    blown o    over b    by a    a g    gust o    of w    wind!"

"So, you asked you mum if you could go to the movies with me, and she remained silent for a while; then, you began to get nervous and had a breakdown, and your mum treated you like a porcelain doll that would be "blown over by a gust of wind"?" Lou asks as he shoots a small glance in my direction.

 

Running my hands through my curls, I nod and let out a growl as indignation takes a hold of my mind; I'm quickly brought out of my irritation, however, when a pungent fishy odor ignites inside the car's air.

 

"Y    Yuck!" Expressing my attitude towards the unpleasant smell circulating in the moving vehicle, I grimace and gag as the stench fills my nose and mouth.

 

"W    What's wrong?" Lou inquires with hesitation painted all over his tone; my jewel colored eyes, which were glowing with confusion, turn towards my best mate, who was gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were turning white.

 

"I didn't know Lou stuttered." Possessed by some unknown desire evoked by my bewildered thoughts, I lean towards Lou only to jerk back as my hands fly to cover my nose, which had been assaulted with the same fishy stench that had filled the car.

 

"D    Did y    you e    eat f    fish a    as a    a m    meal, L    Lou? I    I'm a    asking b    because y    you h    have t    this a    acrid, f    fishy o    odor s    surrounding y    you," I question my best mate as I lean away from him in hopes of escaping the foul smell emitting from his body.

 

"I didn't eat any fish today," Lou responds as he parks the car in front of the cinema; turning off the engine, he turns to me with blue eyes sparkling with both confusion and interest. "You smell fish around me?"

 

I nod my head in response to my mate's question before focusing my attention on unbuckling my seat belt; opening the passenger door, I step out and turn towards Lou, who had also gotten out.

 

"W    What m    movie a    are w    we g   going t    to s    see?" I ask as we step onto the concrete pavement and begin moving towards the cinema's entrance.

 

"No idea; we'll have to see what they're showing," Lou responds before returning to our previous topic. "So, do I still smell like fish?"

 

Raising one eyebrow at my mate's sudden interest in the things I smell, I pause in my tacks, turned to my right, leaned in, and inhaled; leaning back, I begin walking while formulating my reply. "T    The f    fishy s    stench i    isn't a    as s    strong a    as i    it w    was b    before, b    but t    the o    odor i    is s    still t    there," I finally answer his question as we arrive at the front doors.

 

Opening one of the doors, I let Lou go first before following his trail; however, as soon as I step inside the building, I'm violently attacked by numerous noises and smells. A sudden wave of nausea hits me as my vision begins to blur at the edges; my feet take a step back in order to stabilize my swaying body.

 

"It's no different from school, Harry; just focus on your breathing."

 

Reminding myself to focus on each inhale and exhale, I gradually begin to ease the tension running through my body. A hand suddenly grips me on my shoulder, which causes me to tense, snap my eyes open, and whirl around only to be greeted by Lou's face colored in concern; giving my mate an honest glare, I chide him for scaring me and interrupting my calming session.

 

"Whoops! Sorry 'bout that, Haz," Lou gives me a sheepish grin, and all the anger I had directed towards him fades away.

 

"I    It's f    fine; s    so, w    which m    movie?" Turning my attention on to the board holding the movie titles, we begin to bicker about which movie we'd see and who would pay; after deciding on a movie, which I chose, and who would pay, which fell upon Louis' shoulders, we purchased the necessary items-popcorn, drinks, and, of course, candy-we needed during the movies and made our way into the room where the chosen movie was playing.

 

Although the movie I chose had an interesting title, I quickly realized the movie wasn't something that held my attention for long; at least Lou was absorbed in it. Chuckling as my mate slowly placed popcorn in his mouth while keeping his unblinking eyes on the screen, I take a drink of my water bottle and let my attention wander.

 

"I'm glad I told Lou about being a wolf; although he didn't believe me at first, Lou stood by my side. I guess my reaction on Thursday with that that bully made him really believe me." Closing my eyes, I submerge myself in Wednesday, which was two days ago, and its events.

 

"Do you really want to go to school, Harry?" Anne inquired as she stood by the front door, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

 

"F    For t    the m    millionth t    time, m    mum, I    I s    said y    yes!" Letting out an exasperated sigh, I glared up at her as I pushed myself from the stairs, which I had been sitting on while I tied my shoe laces, and began making my way towards the front door. "I    I'll b    be f    fine."

 

"Just Just be careful, okay? Make sure to remember the technique I taught you!" Mum threw her arms around me as she finished speaking, and she tightened her hold as if terrified I'd disappear right before her eyes; unintentionally letting out a soothing purr, I wrapped my arms around mum's trembling form and tried to reassure without purring-something I seemed to constantly do when ever mum was distressed.

 

"I    I'll b    be f    fine, m    mum; I   I p   promise. I    If I    I e    even g    get o    one f    feeling o    of u    uneasiness, t    then I    I p    promise I    I'll c    come r    right h home, o    okay?" Taking the jerky, up-down movement my mum performed as a positive agreement, I softly smiled before releasing her. "I    I'm o    off! L    Love y    you!"

 

Opening the front door, I walked out and began my journey to school; as soon as I stepped into the sunlight, both my eyes, ears, and nose were assaulted by various colors, sounds, and aromas. Fifty feet away: a flash of brown and white dashed up a worn down brown tree; forty feet away, the sound of a lawn mower rolling across the grass reached my ears. Thirty feet away, the fragrance of cherry pie wafted in to my nostrils.

 

Clenching my hands, and digging the suddenly sharp yet normal colored nails in to the tan skin covering my palms, I grind my teeth together and continued walking; I was determined to show my mum I didn't need to be some damsel locked away in a tower to be safe, and if I had to persevere through a couple of moments of agony, then so be it.

 

Better said than done, though; I barely made it around the corner, and effectively out of my mum's sight, before I collapsed against the brick wall. Gasping and letting out a whine, I curled into a fetal position as I desperately tried to calm myself down and return air into my now deprived body; with darkness creeping at the edges of my vision, which was filled with the gray of pavement, I quickly grasped onto the fleeting memory of mum teaching me dad's breathing technique.

 

"Breathe, Harry, and focus on said breathing." Repeating my thoughts and zoning my attention on my shallow breaths, I compelled my trembling body to calm down; disregarding the lightning booming inside my chest, I parted my lips and inhaled a large amount of air. Exhaling the air I had just swallowed, I repeat the process over and over until the world around me fades into one sound: my breathing. Gradually, the shallow, gasping noise I made when I breathed evaporated as both my heart rate and oxygen levels returned to normal. I didn't move from my position against the brick wall until I was confident I was okay.

 

Slowly standing up, I began taking small baby steps as I continued walking towards the school building, which was-thankfully-only ten steps away; when I made it to the entrance, I began building up my mental barriers in hopes that the impact of being surrounded by thousands of scents and noises would be easier to handle.

 

Inhaling, I sputter and choke on the air itself as if it was a liquid that had gone down the wrong pipe. I pinch my nose and do my best to breathe through my mouth, hoping my hand would act as a barrier and keep all the smells-which varied from spices, lemons, limes, garlics, fishes, and coffee grains to ocean waves, mixed fruits, smoke, earth, and mints-out in the air instead of in my head.

 

Walking through the hallway, I made a beeline for my lockers, and I entered the combination; then, I placed the unneeded items inside the locker and kept the required items in my hand. After ensuring I had everything I needed, I quickly walked towards my first class and silently prayed I wouldn't run into Louis. I trust my best mate, but I have no idea how Low'll react to me being a werewolf or if he'll even believe me; besides fearing rejection and abandonment, I can't lie to him, so if Lou asked what happened I'd have no choice but to honestly tell him, which would very well put both himself and my family in danger because werewolf hunters-who are real and ruthless, according to mum-don't have a problem harming non-humans who associate with werewolves.

 

I shake off the shudder that ran down my spine at my morbid thoughts and focus on the tiled floors; I come to an abrupt stop right outside my first class as I realize I hadn't freaked out in school or had a breakdown. Blinking like an owl, I let a triumphant smile crawl over my lips as I resume walking in to the classroom while feeling joy possess my heart at learning a new technique, which was focus on thoughts and nothing else, to ensure I was calm and didn't accidentally transform in front of strangers.

 

I'm just beginning to settle in when Lou walks in; our eyes connect for a single moment before I quickly look away, attempting to busy myself with sharpening my pencils and organizing my items in hopes of portraying an individual who should not be disturbed.

 

Tensing when I sense Louis by my side, I keep my eyes firmly trained on my metal desk as I try to ignore his presence and his aroma, which was faint yet smelt like morning dew; thankfully, the bell rang and the teacher ordered all standing students, which were a few with Lou included, to take a seat. Sinking further into the metal chair, I release a shaky yet relieved gush of air as Lou walks away from my side.

 

"It's better this way; it's for Lou's safety. You can do this, Harry; you can and you will ignore and avoid your best mate." Yet, no matter how many times I told myself it was for the best, I still couldn't ease the regret and sorrow that polluted my heart and mind.

 

My first class went by in a blink of an eye; as soon as the bell rang, I was out of my seat and racing through the threshold towards my next class. The remaining three classes followed a similar pattern: I entered the classroom, sat down, ignored Lou when he came by my side, and then raced off to my next class. However, when lunch came around, the pattern was broken; I did my best to be vigilant and was constantly on guard as I waited for Lou to attack, yet my heightened awareness proved to be futile as I was grabbed from behind and dragged into an unused classroom.

 

Without a conscious thought, I took a swipe at my offender with my elongated nails; when a powerful smoky aroma cracks through the air, I turn around with the intent of taking another swipe before freezing in my tracks. All the blood drains from my face, and the heart that was beating inside my chest flat lines when I see Louis gripping his cheek, crimson red liquid slipping through the cracks of his fingers.

 

"L    L    Lo    Lou! O    O    Oh    g   go   god,    L    Lo    Lou!    I     I      I    d    di    did    didn't    m    me   mea   mean   t   t   to   h   hu   hur   hurt   y   yo   yo   you!   I   I   I    th    tho    thou    though    thought    y    yo    you    w    we    wer   were   a   a   s   str   stran   strang   strange   stranger,   w   wh   who   w   wa   was   g   go   goi goin    going   t   to   to   h   hu   hur   hurt   m   me!" The words that slipped out of my mouth were chopped in halves, covered in hysteria, and barely comprehendible; I'm about to take a step forward-intent on doing something I had no knowledge of-before I rear back as if I have been slapped when another stench, this one smelling like fish, enters the room.

 

Letting out a pitiful whine, I burst into a multitude of untamable sobs as I crumple to the floor like a used and forgotten paper; throwing my face into my knees, I released all my free will to the thing, who came racing to the surface, and slipped in to darkness. When I came through, I was met with a pair of concerned blue eyes.

 

"Kinda looks like Lou's eyes." A sleepy smile curls over my lips at the thought of my best mate before my mind recalls avoiding my best mate and and hurting him.

 

Emerald eyes fly open as I jerk forward, my eyes and nose-which were flooded with three odors: a bitter metallic stench, a fishy odor, and a sour vinegar stench-directing me towards the four, thankfully, shallow slashes across Louis' cheek; flinching back as if I had been the victim of those despicable slashes, I began stuttering my way to undeserved redemption.

 

"L    L   Lo   Lou,    I   I   a   am   s   so   s   so   s   sor-" I began to apologize to my best mate, but I am cut off by Louis' voice.

 

"It's okay, Haz; trust me," He quickly soothed my fears as he sat a hand on my shoulder, giving the limb a gentle squeeze before sending me a weak smile. "I'll admit something, though: I was certainly not expecting that." The hysterical chuckle he let out only fueled my remorse and self-loathing; dropping my eyes to the floor, I remained silent and focused on my wringing hands.

 

"Why have you been avoiding me?" Lou finally acknowledged the giant pink elephant in the room. I kept my eyes trained on the floor and my lips firmly shut; I'd done enough damage, and there wasn't a need to cause any more.

 

"Harry, please," It's the beseeching voice that finally moved my eyes from the floor to those sky colored orbs.

 

"I   I    I," I snapped my jaw shut in order to refrain from speaking any more words; my gaze fell back on the floor as I resumed wringing my hands. That time my bottom lip also became a victim to none other than my teeth.

 

Both of us were silent before a sigh broke the silence and also caught my attention; jewel colored eyes stared at Louis as he plopped on the tiled floor and gazed up at the ceiling as if that would magically answer all of his questions.

 

"It won't, but I could." Shaking my head, I quickly pushed that thought out of my head and continued forward with plan A: do not tell Louis about my transformation.

 

"Did you shrink?" Forcing my eyes to remain on the floor, I kept my mouth shut as Lou continued onwards with his questions and observations. "You look shorter than you did Tuesday; did something happen?" Lou pauses, clearly waiting for me to respond but pushes on after realizing I wasn't planning on saying a word.

 

"You stutter, too, I noticed; you haven't stuttered since you were real young, so what happened to that? What happened to you, Harry? Why When did you get so short? When did you get that stutter? When did you gain such a feminine body? What happened, Harry?"

 

Whether it was the beseeching voice or my lack of will, my previous intentions melted away; I bit my bottom lip, inhaled a sharp intake of air, and answered all of Lou's questions with one confession.

 

"I I'm a a w wolf, L Lou." Silence settled in the air after my confession, but the silence didn't last long as Lou broke it once more.

 

"What'd you have for breakfast today, Haz? Myth-i-o's?" Lou quickly teased, his words spoken lightly with no hint of malice.

 

Unfortunately, that thing didn't take my best mate's words the way he meant them. A high pitched whimper, cloaked in agony and despair, escaped my mouth before I could push it back; feeling sharp pricks of flames lick my emerald eyes, I quickly stood up and turned around in hopes of keeping Lou from seeing how much his words had affected me.

 

"I I'm n not a a l liar," The words, ones that easily betrayed my reason for turning around, were chopped as they were choked out of my throat; all the emotions I was trying so desperately hard to hide laid bare in the air for my best mate to see and hear.

 

"No, no! I didn't mean it that way, Haz; I just I just I don't know," Lou let out a vexed sigh; scrubbing at my eyes, I erased all traces of tears and turned back to face my now standing and pacing mate.

 

"I I k know; y you d don't b believe m me, d do y you?" A small, slightly bitter smile crawled over my lips as I gazed down at the floor; my rhetorical question thickly hanged in the air like a heavy blanket left to dry.

 

Lou stayed silent for a moment, but his silence was a good enough answer for me; giving my best mate a sorrowful smile, I began walking towards the door only to freeze when arms wrap my neck and pull me back into a tall toned body.

 

"I may not believe it, but but no matter what, I'm going to stand by you," My eyes widen in shock at Lou's words, which were muffled by the fabric of my shirt where he had his head buried in. "We're best mates, Haz, and no matter what you are, Wolf or Human, you'll always be my Haz."

 

I closed my eyes, feeling those all too familiar salty flames, and released a trembling sigh before turning around and hugging him with everything I had; unfortunately, everything "I had" was a little too much for Lou.

 

"H Ha z ch ok ing m e," Upon hearing Lou's airy words, I quickly released him with a crimson red blush coloring my cheeks.

 

"S Sorry," I swiftly apologized, giving my panting mate a sheepish smile. "I I f forgot m my s strength t there."

 

"It's fine, Haz," Lou murmured after regaining the air he had been deprived of. "Just remember I'm no wolf like you."

 

The chuckle that escaped my mouth was filled with sincere joy, and when another laughter joined in, I felt a burden lift right off my shoulders.

 

"C Come o on," I finally said as I slipped Louis' arm over my shoulder and began hauling us out of the classroom. "l let's g get y you t to t the n nurse t to h heal th th those m m marks I I m made."

 

"I don't know, Haz; I think I kind of like 'em. They make me look hot," My best mate wiggled his eyebrows at me while sending me a reassuring smile.

 

Laughing, I shook my head, yet I made sure to return Lou's smile with a grateful smile.

 

"Don't tell me you spaced out during the movie, Hazzy!" Snapping out of the memory, I turn my eyes on to Louis, who was standing up with his hands on his hips.

 

Looking around, I quickly notice the black screen and a smaller audience than when we came in to the room; I return my gaze to my mate and give him an apologetic smile.

 

"S Sorry, L Lou; I I g guess I I d did s space o out d during t the m movie," I honestly confess my crime and am awarded with a growling mate.

 

"All my money-wasted!" Lou throws his hands up and begins storming out of the room; grinning at my mate's dramatic antics, I stand up, stretch, and follow the thundering bolts of Lou's feet. I quickly catch up with Lou, and we begin walking towards the lounge.

 

"I have to use the bathroom; in order to repent for your crimes, I demand you buy me a pack of my favorite candy," Lou haughtily states, throwing his nose up in the air and walking into the bathroom without even waiting for my response.

 

"Y Yes, y your m majesty," I sarcastically call before bowing and retreating to the lounge; walking past an arcade stand, I turn to stand in line before pausing once my ears catch a male's voice.

 

"Everyone smells like fish; it's disgusting!" The voice was low, frosty, and rumbled with power, and for some reason, the male's voice sent pleasurable shivers down my spine. Twirling around frantically, I desperately search for the owner's voice while keeping my ears focused on his voice.

 

"Well, what do you expect? You're dressed in black skinny jeans, you have a black muscle shirt on, you have a pierced lip, and, to top it all off, you radiate a "do not disturb" aura! It doesn't help you're a giant, either, so naturally people are going to be afraid of you and smell fishy."

 

I halt in my frenzied twirls upon hearing those words, which were spoken by a male with a light and musical voice, as I recall smelling the same fishy stench in the car-the same odor that radiated from Louis. Emerald green eyes pop out of their sockets as I take a step back; my hand, without a conscious thought, covers my mouth as a vile taste rises in the back of my throat when I piece together the meaning of the odor.

 

"W When I growled, Lou smelt like fish, so so he was scared? Lou was scared of me?" Feeling horror grip my heart at my thoughts of Lou being scared of me of all people, I swallow down the vomit threatening to escape as I resume my search for the voices; however, I wasn't looking for the owner's because of how they sounded but because of what they were.

 

"If they can smell the same things as I can, then that means they're they're wolves like!" Hope blossoms in my heart at the thought of meeting my kind and all memory of Lou being terrified of me and me planning on never accepting my status as an Omega disappear. Without any warning, my conscious is suddenly pushed aside as the thing takes control; my body, no longer controlled by my will, steps out of line and begins stalking the lounge as the thing searched for its kind.

 

Growling, I try pushing the thing aside in order to regain control, and I win-momentarily. I was about to return to the line I was just in, but once more, I was yanked aside as the thing gained control; the mental struggle went on, with me attempting to regain control and the thing fighting every inch of the way.

 

When I finally regained control, I was ten feet away from the candy line; closing my eyes, I inhale to calm the fury-which was directed at both myself for not gaining control sooner, the thing for attempting to control me, and the fact that I had to walk ten feet and start at the back of a long line just to get candy-I felt boiling beneath my skin only to abruptly freeze as a delicious, mouthwatering, chocolate scent slams straight in to me.

 

I don't last a moment as the leader before I am once again yanked aside; this time, however, I am unable to regain control and could only watch as the thing began steering my body towards the intoxicating aroma that not only filled my head and made it feel like it was riddled with cotton balls but also increased my heart rate.

 

The thing makes twists and turns around the lines and crowds gathering as it followed the redolent fragrant; unfortunately, the owner of the light savor continues to elude the thing, causing it to growl-mentally, thankfully; there's no need to terrify innocent civilians and make them aware of what I was-and become outraged.

 

"Where's my alpha? I smell him, yet he does not appear!" I freeze as I hear, quite clearly, a male voice ring throughout my mind, which I was stuck in until I regained control of my body; slowly turning, I gazed at the thing who stood in front, controlling my body.

 

"Did that thing just talk?" I shake my head in response to my question only to pause when I hear a low growl resonate throughout my mind.

 

"One, I'm not a thing, Harry; two: yes, I did just talk and am doing so now."

 

Emerald green eyes snap towards the thing who was now gazing at me with electric blue eyes; licking my suddenly try lips, I struggle with the fact that the thing just talked.

 

"It talked!" Suddenly feeling faint at both the realization of the thing talking and my thoughts of said thing talking, I collapse only to shriek as I realize I have legs and that there is a pink, soft ground below said legs.

 

"You can talk, and I have legs, and what is going on?" The hysteria in my voice is all too clear to both myself and the thing; freezing, my eyes widen when I realize the voice that just spoke, the voice that didn't have a single stutter in it, was mine. "B But, I stuttered before!"

 

"Calm down, child," The thing gently spoke, instantly breaking through my hysteria and, involuntarily, soothing my fears and tension that were running rampage. "Yes, I can talk because, although I dwell within you, I am my own being. Yes, you have legs because this is your spiritual state; when ever I take full control of your body, your soul will transport you to your mind-which is where you are now-where you will take on your spiritual form. Your spiritual form allows you to have the same exact body as you have on the outside, only this form does not need water or food or sleep. As for your stutter, I am the cause for that; however, once I meet our alpha, I am certain you will notice an improved state of communication."

 

I stand as still as a statue as I digest all the information readily given to me by the thing; I keep my eyes trained on the pink trampoline, which was the only way to describe the bouncy yet fleshy ground my feet was standing on. Inhaling, I finally release the chains holding my eyes in place and allow them to wander around my setting; there was nothing, neither notable or existing, inside my mind other than a ground and outwards curved walls. The walls themselves looked-and felt, I noticed when I placed my hand on one of the two walls-exactly like the ground: the wall was pink, fleshy, and bouncy.

 

"Please do stop calling me, "thing." If you so much desire to label me and keep us from forming a healthy connection, then at least call me "wolf."" Jerking back, my gaze snaps towards the speaker, who had resumed controlling my body.

 

Nibbling my bottom lip, I shake my head in response before returning my attention to the pink trampoline; a growl reaches my ear, yet the thing remains silent. I sit down, sinking into the trampoline as I did so, and continue to stare that the ground with not a single thought entering my head; it wasn't until I hear an agonized whine that I looked up.

 

Emerald eyes turn towards the thing, who was pacing back and forth with a tormented expression on its face; I begin to turn my attention back on to the floor before I jump up and twirl around upon hearing a low, rumbling growl right in my ear.

 

Covering my right ear, where the growl had resonated from, I turn towards the thing who had rushed to the front with a wagging tail and a joyful howl escaping its lips. Unable to control the curiosity chewing at my skin, I walk towards the front just in time to see my body twirl around and collide with a broad chest covered in a black muscle shirt.

 

It was a peculiar feeling: watching yourself look up at the crimson red eyed culprit who had twirled you around without being able to do a single thing; however, I was unable to put too much attention to the out-of-body experience I was feeling before I was sucked into the events occurring outside of my mind.

 

I, or at least my head that was currently being controlled by the thing, tilt my head a few inches to the right, shivering in anticipation when the red eyed stranger instantly snapped his attention to the exposed skin, as a sensationally innocent smile creeps over my lips.

 

"Alpha," The words that came out of my mouth were soft and revering, and it was those exact words that caused me to spiral into a panic attack.

 

"Alpha!" I screeched as I turned towards the thing who was gazing through my eyes with nothing short of pure love and devotion-it was sickening. "No! No! I don't want him!" Not even bothering to warn the thing, I lurch myself forward and proceed in my attempt to regain control and stop myself from becoming what my fate had sealed itself as.

 

"I won't let him touch me! I won't!" The screams, hysterical and determined, that ripped from my mouth were my shields: they'd protect me from the pain I'd inevitable get from fighting with the thing, and they'd remind me what I was fighting for. "I will not become what my fate has doomed me to be! I will never be an Omega!"

 

A deafening, infuriated, feral growl tears through my conscious as I am flung back in to a pink squishy wall and tackled by the thing; I use every limb, finger, and nail I have to turn the tables around, yet all the moves I made proved to be useless. The thing was just too powerful-and heavy.

 

"Get off me!" The outrage in my command was all too obvious, yet the thing did not budge from its position above me; letting out a human growl, I kick and claw and punch at the thing yet nothing happens.

 

"If I had known I would get a kid whining and crying about my status, I would have remained dormant!" The thing snarls in my face, effectively cutting of my war cries and commands; flinching back upon having medium-sized sharp teeth bared right in front of my face, I shrink back into the pink trampoline and clench my eyes shut, believing I was a goner.

 

When the agony I was expecting did not occur, I open my eyes just in time to see the thing walk off my body and back in to the front; I sit up and remain seated until the trembles racking my body ceased. Once confident I could walk without falling, I stand up and begin walking towards the front only to freeze and then sit down when a low growl echoed throughout my mind.

 

"Come within ten feet, and I'll make you regret trying to regain control," The words that came from that thing's mouth were serious and held a faintly concealed threat; it was both self-preservation and fear that kept me rooted behind the thing.

 

"I hate you," The pent up emotions of resentment and self-loathing came flooding out in that confession, and I meant every single word I spoke; the only response I received was a spare glance and total silence. Balling my hands into fists, I glare over the thing's small structured body and absorb myself in the external environment's events.

 

Without even speaking a word, the crimson eyed stranger gently grabs my wrist and slowly steers me towards the front doors of the cinema; I don't put up a fight-why would I? I'm not the one in control, after all-and happily follow my alpha with a pleased smile coloring my lips.

 

Once outside, the stranger turns down an abandoned alleyway, conveniently beside the cinema, and pulls me along with him; I follow compliantly before pausing once the stranger turns around. He stalks towards me and backs me into the wall, and I follow his movements and comply with his silent desires; once I was situated, he places a hand beside my head and begins to gaze in to my eyes with an intensity that evoked fire within my veins.

 

Neither of us speak for a few moments; we just gaze into each other's eyes.

 

"What's going on?" Turning my spiritual form to face the thing, I inquire about the reason for the stranger and I gazing in to each other's eyes like love sick fools. "Why are we just staring at each other?"

 

"We're not," The thing softly responds as he jerks his entranced form towards the front; following the movements, my spiritual eyes return towards the front where the stranger was now cupping my cheek and caressing the skin with feathery touches-an action I felt even in my spiritual form. A slow shiver crawls down both my spiritual form's and my external body's spine, and it is quickly followed by a sudden flash of heat that coils around the pit of my stomach.

 

"Easy there, my little mate," The tone, which was soft and filled with affection and hints of desire, the stranger spoke with was as intoxicating as his scent. "Don't tempt me into doing something we are yet ready for."

 

"Who says I'm not ready?" I throw the question right back at the stranger, tilting my head and dropping my gaze to the pavement before looking up between my eyelashes. "You're my alpha; I'll always be ready for you."

 

The soft growl that escapes the stranger's mouth evokes another pleasurable shiver that sets fire to every nerve it comes in contact with. "Aren't you just a tempting little minx?" The stranger's rhetorical question is followed by a chuckle, which did nothing but increase the amount of flames devouring my nerves, and another light caress.

 

"'Cept the female part," A cheeky grin crawls over my lips as I send the stranger another sensational smile and even a wink.

 

Grinning up at the twinkling ruby orbs, I bask in the amusement and happiness radiating from my alpha; I whirl my spiritual form towards the thing as I let out another protest against calling the stranger "alpha."

 

"No; you are most definitely not," He leans his head down, yet never breaks our eye connection, and lets the air escaping from his lips ghost over my own lips. "a female."

 

Letting a whine, a full-body shiver racks my form at my alpha's teasing antics.

 

"Not tempting enough, apparently, to receive your lips," Seductively whispering those words, I tilt my head to the side and smirk up at my alpha, silently hoping he'd rise to the challenge.

 

"Wait, kiss!" My spiritual form once more turns my attention on to the thing as panic began to set in; that thing living inside me was going to make me kiss a complete stranger! "No! Stop it, and stop it now!" However, my protest fell on death ears; before I can move, darkness suddenly consumes my vision as gravity disappears. The last thing I see before my vision goes dark is the stranger sealing his lips over mine.

 

I feel lightless like I weigh not a single pound; all thoughts of struggle and all emotions of negativity disappear, leaving me gently floating through thin air. When the darkness recedes and my vision returns, I'm greeted by crimson red eyes gazing down at me with nothing but pure devotion shining from them; I don't have to check to know I'm in control, and I also don't have to check to know I have no intention or desire of fighting-not any more.

 

"Alpha," The single word tastes wonderful on my lips, and I repeat the title to increase the magic it evokes within my core. "Alpha."

 

"Satisfied, my little Omega?" There was mirth in his eyes and a teasing smile twitching at the corner of his lips as he responds to my calls with soft growls and gentle caresses.

 

"Never," My reply was instant as I step forward, bring my chest in contact with his stomach, and lean on my tippy toes, asking without words for more of his physical affection. "Never."

 

"You're tempting me, little Omega," My alpha murmurs as he hovers over my lips, his eyes darkening and turning into a pool of blood that I quickly drowned in. "If you keep asking for more, I may be unable to control myself."

 

A pout forms over my lips as I fall back on my heels; my gaze drops to the pavement as I intentionally let out a distressed whine that would no doubt pique my alpha's attention. Slowly, with purpose directing every action and word, I look up at my alpha with mixed colored eyes, one electric blue and the other emerald green, that were filled with tears threatening to be shed.

 

"D Do Don't y you w want m me, al al alpha?" I knew the answer to that question and so did my wolf, yet asking it-especially in such an insecure tone-would have my alpha rushing to erase my doubts.

 

He did not disappoint.

 

Quicker than lightning, my alpha's lips are covering mine; his lips are erratic in their movement and are done with a single purpose: to erase my, albeit fake, doubts. Smiling in the kiss, I return the frantic kiss with matched vigor and wrap my arms around my alpha's neck; as soon as his tongue runs over my bottom lip, a loud moan, which is instantly swallowed by my alpha's mouth, escapes my throat.

 

I run my sharp nails through the fluffy blonde hair sitting on top of my alpha's head, relishing both the softness of his hair and the moan that tore from his lips upon my fingers scrapping at the back of his head; smirking, I scrape my alpha's erogenous zone once more before my wrists are caught in a gentle grip and held above my head.

 

Our lips part-leaving a trail of saliva behind, I notice-as we both gasp for air, which was filled with a strong minty and floral fragrance and hints of a redolent earthy aroma; grinning at my alpha's appearance, which consisted of a ruffled hair and swollen lips and darkened rubies, I can't help but release a giggle that had my alpha raising his eyebrow.

 

"Something funny, little mate?" Moaning at my alpha's nickname for me, I shake my head only to moan again when he begins running his nose along my exposed neck. "You sure there isn't something funny?"

 

I attempt to shake my head once more, but I freeze as my skin is subjected to the gentle scrapping of his teeth; all thought of resistance and explanation fly out of my head as I let out a rumbling purr and a lusty mewl as my alpha continues his gentle yet sensational ministrations.

 

"A Alpha!" I cry out as he nips at a particular sensitive spot along my neck; my hands, which had been released as my alpha's hands drifted towards my hips, instinctively shoot out and grip the parts of his shoulders that were exposed and uncovered by the fabric of his muscle shirt as my eyes roll in the back of my head.

 

Pleasure ignites along every inch of my skin, and the pleasure would have continued to devour my willing body had my alpha not frozen and ceased his ministration.

 

"Alpha?" I call out his title in a soft and perplexed tone; my hand instantly reaches towards his face and gently cups his cheek, effectively regaining his attention. "What's wrong, alpha?"

 

"Seems our union is going to be cut short, little mate," His tone is soft yet smothered in regret and hints of annoyance; his pierced lips turn upwards into an affectionate smile as he takes my hand and kisses the palm. "Don't worry, though; I'll make certain we reunite, hopefully with a little more personal time."

 

A spark of heat rips through my chest at my alpha's promise and tone, which had dropped suggestively after saying the word "personal." However, the desire is disregarded as I focus on the fact of my alpha leaving me.

 

"I don't want you to go, alpha!" I cried out as I burrowed my head in his chest, shudders-not the pleasurable kind-running down my spine as distressed whines left my lips. "There's no guarantee we'll meet again, and who knows if I'll even be as compliant as I am now!"

 

"Hush, my little Omega," He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me closer, an action that quickly has me relaxing, before continuing onwards with his piece. "do not fret because I can and will guarantee our meeting again; regardless of whether you are as compliant as now or not, I can guarantee we will become mates one way or the other. I need you to be patient, though, and wait for me to return to you. Can you do that, love?"

 

"I don't want to," Releasing a sigh, my shoulders drop as I nod my head and continue speaking. "I don't want to, alpha, but I promise I'll be patient and wait; just just don't make me wait too long, okay?"

 

"I won't," The authenticity in his voice swiftly crushes all my doubts and insecurities and also made it a little easier to release him. Stepping back, I give my alpha a sorrowful smile which is returned in both action and feeling.

 

"We'll meet again; I promise," Swooping down, he places his lips over mine after making that promise that, if broken, I would never let him live down.

 

Letting my eyes fall shut, I return the kiss and pour as much devotion, affection, and love I could possibly muster; and, had we not heard footsteps nearing our location, we would have continued to kiss and wouldn't have stopped.

 

Breaking apart, my alpha gives me one last caress on my cheek before turning on his heels and stalking towards the alleyway's entrance; emerald green and electric blue eyes follow his movement as my hands ball into fists, hoping the slight twinges of pain I received from digging my nails into my palms would stop me from crying out.

 

It was only until my alpha was out of sight, his scent faint yet lingering in the air, did the spell cast upon me break and reality crashed in; I crumple to the floor, a pair of matching green eyes wide and filled with salty liquids, and let out an anguished scream as I realize what I had just done and what had just happened.

 

"I met my alp-I met him, the one who will ensure my fate as a weak and worthless Omega comes true. What's worst, I even kissed him!" Throwing my face in my heads, I let the world around me fade away as I sink deeper in to my depressed oblivion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading, commenting, bookmarking, and kudoing! ♥


	5. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anne's an overprotective mum; Lou's a great mate; Harry's a stubborn man; and, Niall's a cruel man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: the following work was made up by a hardcore yaoi fangirl, whose overactive imagination is constantly defeated by the reality that every thing she writes doesn't match up with real life.

I had sunken so deep in to my oblivion I barely noticed Louis rushing to my side until I felt warm hands gently shaking my limp shoulder.

 

"Haz? Haz! Are you okay? Did that that guy do something to you? Did he hurt you? He didn't he didn't t to touch you, d did he?" It was Lou's last question that evokes the wolf and has it rushing towards the front; I don't even blink, nonetheless fight, when the wolf takes control and turns on Lou with steely eyes and parted snarling lips. 

 

"How dare you accuse my alpha of such a heinous crime? My alpha would never, never, lay a hand on me with the intentions of causing me harm; don't you ever insinuate my alpha is the exact same as a filthy slum. Do you hear me?"

 

Watching Lou swiftly nod is head up and down in response to the wolf's question, I attempt to shove away the uninterested emotion consuming my spiritual form before instantly giving up.

 

"What's the use, any way? Why fight? Why try taking control? My life is already ruined since I all but threw myself in the alpha's arms and basically displayed exactly what omegas are: pieces of cakes to discard after you've satiated your desire for them. It's no use any more trying to not be someone I'm fated to be; and, in all honesty, I'm tired. So, if this is my fate, let it happen. I have no will to keep fighting something I can't control, and even if I did continue to fight the adversity placed in front of me, there's no guarantee I'll be able to remain in control and thus continue fighting." Puppet eyes gaze at the pink fleshy ground as I was consumed by my thoughts before slowly moving towards the wolf, who had let out a low growl void of any anger; blue clashes with green as the wolf jerks his head to the front, which was now unoccupied.

 

"You stay in control," Had I not been conquered by defeat and self-pity, the chilling voice that came out of my mouth would have surely terrified me and evoked my concern; however, the negative emotions had attached themselves so strongly to my will that, even if I had wanted to fight, I would be unable to do a thing. "I don't want to be in control any more. If you think about it, it's best for everyone involved: I, in an indirect way, obtain my desire of not being a werewolf, and you obtain control and that man."

 

"Say those things when you aren't occupied by your pity party," The wolf's tone mirrors my own: robotic and void of any emotions. "Get in the front, Harry, before I do something to our darling cub that will emotionally hurt both of us."

 

It was sickening and saddening at the same time that not even the threat of harm coming to my best mate could compel me to move and regain control; hearing a vexed growl vibrate throughout my mind, I stare at the animal stalking towards me with darkened eyes. Letting out zero sounds of protest, I let the wolf grab me by my right leg, with its teeth, and haul me towards the front.

 

The wolf throws me the remaining distance towards the front, and I fly out of my spiritual form and enter the external environment; after gathering my bearings, I blink like an owl before raising my uninterested gaze to Lou, who reeked of fish yet still managed to look concern for me.

 

"He's irrevocably terrified of me, yet he still manages to concern himself over matters that he doesn't have to involve himself in." I wanted to laugh at my thoughts for some unknown reason, and I did: a soft, completely hysterical laugh comes out my mouth and raise my shoulders from corpses to fall leaves blowing in the wind.

 

Lou gives me a perplexed look as my mood shifts from a growling beast to a villain laughing at his genius yet maniacal plan; yet, I still laugh and continued to laugh while letting the noise fill the night and air between us, until it swiftly dies away upon feeling a stray tear snake down my face.

 

Green winter eyes widen as I slowly bring a trembling hand to my now wet cheek; my gaze collides with an ocean, whose miles had increased as the orbs widened, as the silence once more returns.

 

"What ?" The question plagues my mind as another lone tear slithers down my cheek, which was followed by another one and another one; I didn't know how I went from hysterically laughing to hysterically sobbing nor did I know the reason for crying a second time.

 

"I I I," I stutter out a single word with desperation, for what I had no idea, coating my voice; it's not long before rain begins falling, slipping from my eyes like water droplets from gray clouds. Clenching my eyes shut, I try to will away the tears but the attempt was futile. Letting out a sob, an honest to god human sob, I throw my face in my hands and let the tears fall.

 

My face comes out of its shell when I feel arms wrap around my shoulders; gazing at my clearly confused mate, I give Lou a watery smile, which he returns with his famous crooked smile, before burying my face in the fabric of his jacket.

 

We sat there for what felt like eternity, and not a word was spoken between us except for the muffled cries of my emotions flooding the dams I had built to keep them inside; when the tears had finally stopped, Lou assisted me in standing and gently steered me towards his car. For once, I didn't protest about being treated like a porcelain doll and basked in the care my best mate was readily showering me.

 

"Thank you, Lou," It was the first and final words I said since the alleyway incident; giving my best mate a sleepy yet grateful smile, I lean back in to the passenger seat and let my eyes slip close, allowing the purr of engine lull me to sleep.

 

~

 

Spring eyes flutter open as my senses begin to revive, letting the greetings of morning wash over me like a soothing rainfall; I close my eyes once more, and I listen to the bird's song and inhale deeply only to jerk up and let out a screech when my senses are struck by Louis' smell and half-naked body. Of course, my screech had also awoken my sleeping companion, who jerks off the mattress with bleary eyes and unkempt brown hair.

 

"Where's the fire?" Lou looks around as he holds his hands in front of him as if expecting the imaginary fire to become ninjas he would have to ward off; I would have laughed, and I did-after reassuring myself that Lou was wearing clothes.

 

"What?" Lou turns to me with bewilderment painted all over his face; I shake my head before clenching my sides, doubling over as the giggles-sincere and completely void of hysteria-continue to erupt from my lips.

 

"Seriously; what?" Looking up, I gasp for air as I take in the pout forming along my best mate's lips.

 

"Nothing, L Lou," I wave my hand side-to-side as if making a problem disappear; I lean against my wooden headboard and look fixedly at Lou with amusement radiating from my eyes.

 

"Well, didn't you just screech?" Lou inquires as he sits in front of me while crossing his arms over his bare chest. 

 

"Oh, y yeah; the p person who j just screeched w was me," I confess, sending Lou an apologetic smile as I sheepishly scratch the back of my head. "Sorry." Lou was neither amused nor forgiving as he let out a growl and stomped his foot like a child who had been denied their favorite candy.

 

"Sheesh, Haz! I was having a good dream, and then all the sudden I'm awoken by a scream that I think is a cry for help!" Lou sulks as a dark gloom falls around his form.

 

Releasing a chuckle, I gently touch my best mate's arm before responding: "I'm s sorry for f forcing you o out of y your dream, L Lou; I h honestly did n not mean t to."

 

Fixing my attention past Lou's form and on my bedroom door, I contemplate the reason for screeching upon seeing Lou in my bed. "He's slept over before, and he's slept in my bed countless times; so, why did I suddenly screech like a banshee when I saw him in my bed?" Before I could answer my thoughts, I'm pulled out by Lou's voice, which had softened and turned in to a gentle murmur. 

 

"You don't stutter as much as you did yesterday, Haz," My eyes widen as I recall my previous sentences, all which held a stutter but not as many; snapping my attention to Lou, I give him a joyous grin, which is returned by halves, before Lou returns to his seldom expression. 

 

"What's w with the f face, Lou?" I swiftly squash down the rising panic, which wasn't as strong as yesterday but was most definitely mind consuming, as I investigate the reason for a serious, which is a word I never expected to associate with Lou, best mate. 

 

"Harry, do you remember last night?" Tilting my head to the side, I'm about to respond to Lou's hesitant question in a negative gesture before I freeze and tense up when the memories of yesterday came flooding in to my brain.

 

Squeezing my eyes shut, I grit my teeth and ball my hands in to fists as I force away the powerful resentment threatening to conquer me; without opening my eyes, I curtly nod my head in a positive gesture to show I did remember last night-and I wished I didn't.

 

"D Did Did th tha that g g g guy d do do s som something?" The next question that flies out of Lou's mouth has my eyes flying open in shock; all resentment rapidly melts away as I surveyed my best mate, who was looking any where but me and casting off an aura of concern and anxiety. Letting a soft smile curl over my lips, I gently take a hold of Lou's hand and give the limb a soft squeeze before responding.

 

"No; L Lou, the g guy did n not do a any thing t to well, t the guy d didn't do a anything violent t to me," I quickly amend my sentence as I recall the the thing he did to me; feeling vile rise to my throat, I shove the memory of our lips touching out of my mind and turn my attention on to Lou.

 

"That's That's good," Lou releases a shaky sigh as he gives me a relieved smile. "I had to ask because well, you were on the floor; you were crying, and you looked like the world had ended. When I saw you, I had just passed a really scary looking guy-and he was really scary! He was dressed all in black and had a pierced lip and looked like he ate little kids for breakfast every morning-and thought he had hurt your or something, so I guess I kind of jumped to conclusions."

 

"It's o okay, Lou," I chuckle at my friend's description and give him a reassuring smile. "T Thank you for c caring so m much about m me."

 

"We're brothers, Haz; of course I'd care about you," Lou grins at me before asking another question. "But, uh, c can I ask you something, Haz?"

 

"Shoot," After giving Lou my permission to ask his question, I lean forward and effectively straighten out my back and all the kinks in it.

 

"I think you called Mr. I-Eat-Little-Kids-For-Breakfast "Alpha." What did you mean by "Alpha," and why did you get so outraged when I implied him hurting you?"

 

I let out a groan as I close my eyes; shaking my head, I pull myself together and prepare myself for the confession I was about to spill.

 

"I f forgot to t tell you w what being a an Omega e entails," I murmured quietly as I dropped my gaze to the covers, which were being messed up and straightened out by my erratic hands; inhaling a large amount of air, I release the oxygen back in to the atmosphere before sharing the information I had learnt with Lou. "Being a an Omega m means that I I'm, well, b basically I'm a a toy f for the m members of t the pack t to sleep w with; that's m my sole p purpose. Also, I I didn't g get angry a at you w when you i implied that g guy had h hurt me, b but that t thing did g get angry; I I guess t the reason t that thing g got so o outraged at y you was b because you i implied that g guy had d done something t that the t thing believed h he could n never do."

 

"I I had no idea, Haz," Louis' tone and eyes reflects the remorse that had surged up once I had finished sharing the information. "No wonder you never wanted to be reminded of being a wolf-that; I thought you were embarrassed, but now I know the truth: you didn't want to reminded of what you are-what you're existence entails. So, you didn't get angry at me, but your wolf-that thing did get angry at me? And you think it's because the wolf-that thing's devoted to Mr. I-Eat-Little-Kids-For-Breakfast?"

 

"Exactly," I give Lou a sorrowful smile, and I sag against the backboard as I mindlessly stare at my chipped ceiling. "T That thing g got angry a at you, a and I b believe the c cause is b because that t thing is d devoted to t that guy."

 

Both of us share a matching bittersweet smile before becoming absorbed by our thoughts; it's the sound of flesh meeting flesh that captures my attention and moves it from the ceiling to Lou, who had balled one hand in to a fist and laid it on top of the palm of his free hand.

 

"Lou?" I call my best mate's name as I take in the stony blue eyes and pursed lips. 

 

"Harry, I may not be a werewol a supernatural creature like you, but no matter what," Louis meets my perplexed gaze with a determined one of his own. "I won't let that guy near you so he can use you-I promise."

 

"You d don't have t to protect m me, Lou," I give Louis a smile while I squashed down the all too familiar resentment towards being treated like a porcelain doll.

 

"Remember, Harry: Louis is just trying to be a good mate," By repeating those words, I was able to successfully vanquish the resentment.

 

"I know I don't, Haz, but I want to," Lou stands up, back straight and chin tilted, with his arms hanging by his side. "I don't want you to go through this alone; so, from now on, you can count on me to have your back!" 

 

Releasing an exasperated but fond sigh, I survey my friend's immovable posture before surrendering.

 

"If t that's what y you want, L Lou," I had no idea what I had signed myself in for when I had waved my white flag so quickly nor did I have any thought as to what consequences my surrender would have; all I wanted to do was make Lou happy, and if acting as my bodyguard pleases him, then so be it.

 

"I want to," With a stubborn expression colored over his face, Lou nods his head before turning and heading downstairs once his stomach started demanding its own attention; shaking my head, I follow Lou down the stairs while ignoring the churning in my gut whispering how I would come to sorely regret my surrender.

 

~

 

I don't regret my surrender.

 

I don't regret my surrender.

 

I do not regret my surrender.

 

Letting out a feral growl, I glare at my reflection in the mirror before splashing water on my face; grabbing another paper towel, I harshly scrub my face before throwing the paper in the garbage.

 

"It's no use," Releasing an exhausted sigh, I lean against the porcelain sink while mindlessly gazing at the school's bathroom stalls as I sank deeper in to my thoughts. "I can't force myself to believe a lie-and it is a lie. I do regret my surrender to Lou-a lot more than what I was expecting."

 

Tempestuous storms disappear from view as my eyelids close; I begin to recall the events that have occurred for the last three days: On Saturday, which was the day Louis made his vow to have my back, I was followed by Louis every where I went, including the bathroom! On Sunday, I was forced to follow behind Louis and wait, for minutes, in some place for Louis to check the surrounding vicinity to ensure there were no "crazy, terrifying looking, predatory Alphas near." And on Monday, not only did Saturday and Sunday's actions occur but Louis also made me carry around a can of pepper spray and a button that, once pressed, would instantly start screaming. Balling my hands in to fists, I swiftly push away the memories of the last three days and focus on the first alone time I had for a while.

 

"I don't know if I should thank you since you sealed my fate as a toy to use, but thank you fate for letting my Algebra teacher mistrust Lou and I together," Looking up at the ceiling in response to my thoughts, I thank the wretched fates; in order to obtain this alone time, I had to quickly finish my Algebra test, which was slightly difficult but nonetheless manageable, and then proceeded to request a bathroom break. Mr. Grace had allowed the request, but he denied Lou's request for a bathroom break because he had a "sinking feeling in his gut when ever Tomlinson and Styles were together." Chuckling, I sent another thank you to Mr. Grace before washing my hands; after drying them off, I walked out of the bathroom and down the hall like a snail.

 

"Besides Lou being a little too overprotective, things have actually been going well; mum and I finally made up, and I couldn't be happier with the results from the discussion: not only does she try to treat me normally but she also has given me a little more freedom with a lower amount of concern than before," I gaze down at the tiled floor that was slowly passing by as I drowned in my thoughts. "Although mum still has her moments where she treats me a little too carefully, overall she has been doing well in treating me like I was before I changed in to this." I allowed the memory of Saturday, which was the day Anne and I made up, to surface, and I was swept back in time.

 

Breakfast was a quiet affair, besides Lou's sounds of chewing and moans of pleasure; I avoided mum's gaze as I played with my food. My appetite had vanished once I saw her red swollen eyes and aged face.

 

"I'm going to use the restroom," Lou abruptly stood up and turned on his heels as he headed towards the upstairs bathroom; both mum and I watched our companion leave before meeting each others gaze. We both quickly looked away, and I returned my attention to my breakfast. Finally, after a few more moments of silence, I released a sigh and began to apologize the same exact moment as Anne did.

 

"Mum, I I'm sor-" "Harry, I'm sor-" Our gazes collide as we blink simultaneously in surprise and embarrassment.

 

"You c can go f first, mum," I send Anne a soft smile, which she returned happily before her lips thinned as she began speaking in a melancholy tone.

 

"I'm sorry, Harry, for treating you like, well, "like a porcelain doll." I had no intentions of making you feel like you were weak, love, and I'm sorry I made you believe I thought you needed protection. I was just I was just worried about you, baby. I just," Anne paused as tears began pooling her in eyes and flooding over; faster than a snake, I jumped out of my chair and enveloped her in a warm yet tight hug.

 

"I'm s sorry too, m mum!" I cried out as tears began flooding down my cheeks; tightening my hold on my sobbing mum, who had returned my hug with vigor, I released soothing purrs and sobs that mingled with hers and created a melody of unity and forgiveness. We stood there for a couple of moments, and we cried together in sorrow and regret. After the faucets in our eyes had been turned off, we pulled away and gave each other smile before sitting down.

 

"Mum, I I'm sorry, b but I n need to m make a r request," Capturing Anne's attention, which had wandered towards the table, I stare straight in to her eyes as I let all my feelings come forth in to the light. "Please s stop treating m me like a a porcelain d doll; I k know you h have good i intentions, but I I feel l like I'm n not-"

 

"You feel like you're no longer human, right?" I jerk back in to the wooden chair as my eyes pop out of my sockets in shock; mum, who had a gentle and understanding smile colored over her lips, had hit the nail right on the head. "You feel like you're some wild animal who needs to constantly be watched to ensure the safety of both yourself and others; you feel like you can't even walk without someone trying to assist you. You feel like you're can't do anything because everyone thinks like you need help with every thing. How accurate am I?"

 

"Very," The soft response that flies out of my mouth reflected my astonishment and bewilderment. "Mum, h how did y you know e exactly what I I was f feeling?"

 

"I know why you want to stop being treated like a porcelain doll and how you feel in regards to being treated like a porcelain doll because your father also treated me that way after I had accepted him and the relationship," Anne explained as she leaned back in her chair; a misty smile crawls over her face as her eyes unintentionally softened before returning to the present. "It's ironic; I knew the feeling of being treated too carefully and despised it, yet I did the same exact thing to my son."

 

"It's o okay, mum," Reaching across the table, I intertwined our hands and squeezed them to reassure Anne that I wasn't angry any more. "But, s since you k know how i it feels, c could you p please try t treating me l like I'm H Harry, your e eighteen year o old son i instead of H Harry, your e eighteen year o old thing s son?"

 

"I will try my best to treat you like I did before you turned in to an Omega," I didn't miss the way mum stressed my heritage nor did I miss the questions in her eyes; but, thankfully, Anne did not ask the things she wanted to ask and, instead, brought my hand to her lips and placed a kiss on it. "but, please remember Harry, that I will always be concerned for you; Omega or not, you're still and always will be my baby boy."

 

A flash of heat sparked along my cheeks as they lit up like a Christmas tree; returning mum's smile, which was filled with affection and love, I squeezed her hand one more time before releasing them just as Lou walked in to the kitchen.

 

"So, did you two finally make up?" Lou looked between Anne and I with suspicion gleaming from his narrowed eyes.

 

"Yeah, L Lou; we m made up," I responded as I shared a smile with mum before digging in to my breakfast as my appetite returned.

 

Bam!

 

Swiftly coming out of my memory, I let out a whimper as I gently rub my throbbing stomach, which had collided with the doorknob connected to the door separating the hallway and the Algebra class.

 

Releasing a sigh, I brace myself for the rest of the day that would no doubt be filled with annoyance, on my part, and concern, on Lou's part; forcing a smile on my lips, I turn the knob and enter the silent classroom. I take my seat and wait for the bell to signal the next class.

 

When the bell finally rings, all the students quickly get out of their seats and rush towards their next class; patiently sitting at my desk, I wait for Lou to stand up-I've tried escaping and have sorely regretted it when all I got was an endless lecture-and check the vicinity.

 

"Is i it clear, L Lou?" The sarcasm that coats my voice is poorly concealed yet is promptly ignored by Lou, who had risen from his seat and had begun to check the hallway; both of us ignored Mr. Grace's baffled glances.

 

"It's clear; come on, Haz," Lou nods as he gestures for me to come over by the threshold; I stand from my seat, gather my belongings, and begin to walk side by side with Lou. "Are you still carrying the peppery spray and screeching button?"

 

Giving Lou a heated glare, I bite my tongue from hissing venomous words at my best mate.

 

"Yes, L Lou, I'm c carrying my w weapons," Letting a vexed sigh escape my mouth, I roll my shoulders back and pretend all the irritation was being flung away; although the action did not relieve me of the annoyance devouring my body, the action did relieve me of the kinks littering my back.

 

"Good, good," Lou nods his head up and down before sucking me in to a discussion about how difficult the "stupid, worthless, why-do-I-have-to-take-this math test"-according to Lou, any way-was. When we arrive at our next class, we settle in and continue our discussion, this time about our upcoming biology test; however, once the bell rings, all voices went quiet as our Literature teacher, Mr. Martinez-Jackson, stalks in to the classroom.

 

"Today, we have three new transfer students; I want each and every one of you ignorant brats to ensure they are comfortable and help them with any problems they may experience," Mr. Martinez harshly commands before calling out for the three new students to come in.

 

Lou and I share an intrigued glance before intensely staring at the wooden door, which jiggled for a moment before flying open. The first person to come in was a tall man with tan skin; he had milk chocolate eyes, a shy yet warm smile painted over his pink lips, and he had neatly combed wood colored hair that, in the front, skyrocketed in to a mountain. Inhaling out of curiosity, I cover my mouth to hold back a shriek when that all too familiar intoxicating scent fills my senses.

 

"He's here! He's here!" Panic floods through my veins as that thing, which had been silent and calm until now, begins fighting for control in response to my panicked thoughts; I counterattack all his attempts as I frantically grab a pencil and, with a shaky hand, write a note and pass it to Lou, who takes it with a cocked eyebrow.

 

Throwing my face in to my hands, I clench my eyes shut as I ward off the thing's attempts to gain control and do something that I would only regret; I stop breathing from my nose and switch to my mouth, but when the redolent aroma floods in to my mouth as well, I forgo any breathing attempts. I didn't want to look up because I knew what I'd see: him. The one who sealed my fate as an Omega. Unfortunately, Mr. Martinez did not care about what I wanted as he called my name.

 

"Mr. Styles, would you please be so kind as to raise your hand and direct Mr. Niall Horan to your seating," Praying that this "Mr. Niall Horan" was the guy with the inviting face, I reluctantly open my eyes and raise both my head and hand.

 

Gathering the courage, I peek through my eyelashes to see who Niall Horan was; my whole body trembles and tenses when my eyes connect with glacial blue eyes, which rapidly transitioned to crimson gunmetal eyes back to glacial blue orbs, belonging to none other than the same man I met in the alley way Friday night. Feeling desperation and terror chain themselves to my heart, I tear apart our connection and anchor my gaze on my metal desk as my hands curl in to balls of fist. It wasn't until I was hit with the a sour odor of vinegar did I look up from my desk; searching for the source of the vile smell, I look towards Lou, who was staring at my hands with worry. My attention drops to my uncurled hands, which had crescent moon shaped marks engraved in to the red skin tainted with blood.

 

"Mr. Martinez-Jackson! Harry's bleeding!" Lou all but jumps out of his seat, grabs my arms, and hauls me out the door. "I'm taking him to the nurse!"

 

"Sit back down, Mr. Tom-" Lou bluntly ignores Mr. Martinez's protest as he drags me in to the hallway and straight to the nurse's office; I obediently follow him as relief slices through the chains of fear and desperation, thus freeing me for a temporary moment.

 

"Thank you so much, Lou, for getting me out of there!" I sob out my gratitude as I sag against my best mate's chest, relishing the sturdy build and the tight hug he gave me.

 

"Don't worry, Haz; every thing will be okay," Lou softly reassures me as he hugs me for a few more moments before releasing me and continuing our journey towards the nurse. "Let's get you patched up."

 

"The wounds on my hands are already healed, Lou," Freezing in his tracks, Lou whirls around with disbelief written all over his face; cocking one eyebrow, I support my sentence with proof as I raise my hands, which were free of open wounds yet covered in a watery red.

 

"Well, let's milk this time of freedom for all we have, okay?" Lou doesn't even wait for my reply before twirling around and walking towards the nurse's office; rolling my eyes, I release a sigh but compliantly follow my best mate for the sheer fact that I had no intention of seeing, or smelling, that man again.

 

"I can't believe we even met again," I ignore the thing, who was whining and still attempting to take control, as I fall deeper in to my thoughts. "If he can come to school, then who knows where else he can go? Is any place safe?"

 

I quickly shake my head and rid myself of those thoughts; refocusing my attention on Lou's back, I shove away all thoughts centered around him and continue to battle the thing to remain in control. When we arrived at the Nurse's office, we were greeted by Mr. Jackson-Martinez kind smile; he examined my hand and, after explaining there were no wounds to heal, gently ordered me to wash my hands for twenty seconds with soap. Unfortunately, Lou, who did not have any injuries, was sent back to the classroom. I give Lou a sorrowful smile before returning to my hand washing; after doing as told, I linger in the office; I was reluctant to return to the classroom and face him.

 

"Is there something else you need, Harry?" Mr. Jackson-Martinez softly inquires as he scans my body for any other possible injuries. 

 

"Eh? U Um, well," Blood floods in to my cheeks as I frantically search for a plausible reason for remaining in Mr. Jackson's office; however, before I can even form a good response, the school nurse begins speaking.

 

"Honestly, you kids; Richard is actually a sweet and gentle man once you get to know him," Mr. Jackson-Martinez explains as he gives me a soft yet upbraiding smile while speaking about his husband; flushing once more, I eagerly shake my head as I search for a response. 

 

"No, it's not like that! It's just I, uh," I close my jaw with a subtle pop as I organized my thoughts before resuming my sentence. "It's just my head feels fuzzy and hot. Could you check my temperature?"

 

"Of course," Mr. Jackson-Martinez swiftly grabs the thermometer and takes my temperature. "Your temperature is not so high that resembles a fever, but I would recommend you resting for a while." 

 

The school nurse motions towards the two beds, which were covered by a single white blanket and had one pillow resting on top of the blankets, as he concludes his sentence; giving the older man a thankful smile, I walk towards one of the beds and laid on top of the covers. Letting my eyes close, I inhale deeply and instantly regret it when that earthy chocolate aroma teases my nostrils; once more, the thing awakens and resumes its attempts of gaining control, but I counterattack each slam the thing performs with one of my own.

 

"No matter how many times you slam in to me or growl at me, I will never let you be in control because I will not be an Omega!" I release a silent human roar, that rang throughout my mind, as I let determination and fury guide my strength. Whether it was the harsh yet genuine tone I used or my sudden strength, the thing backed down and ceased all fires.Feeling a triumphant smile curl over my lips, I settle in to the bed and allow sleep, which has rarely been coming lately, to pull me away from reality. 

 

~

 

The first thing that pulls me out of my slumber is a gentle hand and a clear voice.

 

"Harry, your third class has just begun," Mr. Jackson-Martinez softly calls out as my eyes twitch before fluttering open. "How do you feel?"

 

"Much better; thanks, Mr. Jackson-Martinez," I send the kind man, who was the complete opposite of his husband in so many ways, a grateful smile before using my elbows as leverages to push my led body off the mattress.

 

"I'm relieved to hear that, kiddo," Mr. Jackson-Martinez returns my smile before grabbing a thermometer and instructing me to open my mouth; after re-taking my temperature, which had gone down quite a bit, I was given a pass explaining my tardiness and instructed to take it easy and drink plenty of water.

 

Waving goodbye to the sandy colored haired nurse, I step out of the room that smelt of pungent Lysol and began walking down the hallway void of any students. Allowing my eyes to wander, I consume my attention with the peace that had finally settled inside me.

 

"I'm glad that thing's settled down; I honestly don't know if I can handle any thing after taking such a nice nap," I release a joyous sigh as I basked in the peace swirling around and inside me; I was so lost in my thought I didn't notice the other occupant closing in on me like a vulture on a dead prey until he struck.

 

A gasp and sharp hiss of air echoes throughout the dead silent hallway; hazy forest green eyes blaze snow blue and widen as my back collides, rather painfully, against the freezing metal lockers. Slowly, with my heart pounding in my chest like a bass, my gaze rises and encounters eyes like lightening.

 

"Who," His voice is low and brimming with fury as he slowly begins speaking, and maliciousness is articulated through the thick tone he speaks in. "placed their filthy hands on you?"

 

"N N N No o one!" I was quick to answer his question while my knees trembled in response to the sudden terror coursing through my veins; a petrified whimper leaves my lips as his tan hands turn in to vice grips, which tightened on my shoulder and effectively restrained me against school property, upon hearing my reply. "I s said no o one!"

 

By now, all peace had completely vanished as that thing came clawing to surface, whining and begging to be released; barely managing to ward of the thing's attempts, which were frenzied with desire and determination, I desperately attempt to ground myself as I began to be backed in to the corner by both the man I never wanted to see and the thing dwelling within my mind. Not a single thought passes through my head as my body began to act recklessly. 

 

"You're lying," He ominously breaths those words as he leans in; the bright white overhead lights bounces off his hard eyes and the pierced metal connected to his lips. "Now, I'll ask you one more time-and so help me god, Harry, if you do not tell me the truth I will make you regret it-who touched what was mine?!"

 

"I'm not your's!" The passionate response that flies out of my mouth refutes his words. My eyes momentarily transition in to blue icicles before returning to their previous coloration as the anger boiling beneath my skin erupts at being forced in to a situation where I was completely helpless. "Now get your hands off me, you ruthless prat!"

 

"You are mine, Harry Styles," His crimson eyes smothers my gaze, and possessiveness blanketing his spoken words grows thicker each minute that ticks by. "You are mine to touch, mine to care for, mine to hold, mine to teach, and mine to embrace. You are mine. Now, open up your pretty mouth and let that tongue of yours form the answer I want to hear!"

 

The air around us crackles with electricity like thunder threatening to strike; the storm brews for a few more seconds before exploding and releasing all it's pent up power.

 

"Go to hell, Horan," My confession was spat with revulsion as I internally fought to ignore the way the thing made my body react to his dominating words; feeling another slam attack my spiritual side, I refocus on warding off the wolf while trying to keep afloat in the ocean I was beginning to drown in.

 

"Suit yourself," It was the only warning I received before pierced lips roughly descended on my softer lips; his tongue thrusts his way past my pink barriers and devours every inch of my forced open cave as if it were his and his alone. All it took was one single lip-to-lip contact to turn all my counterattacks in to dust; as if receiving an extra boost, the thing slams in to me one more time before taking total control. Gathering my bearings, I briefly look around to confirm my setting, which was in my mind as my spiritual form; fury ignites through my core as I turn towards the thing, who was standing in front with its tail wagging like a dog greetings its long gone owner, and lunge. I didn't even last a minute as the thing rears around, snaps its jaws, captures my neck, and holds me down; the blood freely flowing through my veins freezes as I realize the dire position I was in.

 

I don't move a single finger as I lay flat on the pink trampoline, and my attention zooms in on the thing, who stands as still as a corpse before slowly unlocking the multiple triangular fangs it had seethed inside my spiritual neck. I remain on the ground as my gaze fearfully follows the thing as it trotted to the front and resumed control. 

 

"Please," My voice is beseeching and desperate as I slowly sit up with my attention locked on the thing. " please let me have my control back."

 

"Why should I? All you ever do is run and complain like a child!" The thing throws a heated glare in my direction before focusing on the external environment.

 

"I know I act like a child, but my attitude doesn't give you the right to just take control when ever you please!" I snap in response only to regret it as a thunderous infuriated growl shakes the pink ground and walls.

 

"Keep that attitude up, and I'll let the Alpha embrace us," The thing threatens as he whirls around and begins stalking towards me with gleaming eyes. 

 

"Embrace? What does that mean?" Tilting my head to the side, I regard the predatory animal with both fear and confusion.

 

"In human language, it means sexual intercourse," The thing's lips pull back as he gives me a sadistic smile upon hearing me shriek.

 

"S S Sexual i i intercourse!" I shoot up only to fall back down as nausea strikes; throwing my head between my thighs, I begin to breathe deeply to ward of the pending panic attack inching closing. "Oh god; oh god!"

 

The thing is silent as I struggle to calm my racing heart and shallow breaths, but once I began to loosen my tense body, the thing speaks once more.

 

"Tell me, Harry: exactly what is it that you despise so much about being an Omega?" The question that comes out of the thing's mouth shocks me in to jerking my head up; staring at the thing, who was sitting down and gazing at me with curious eyes, I blink a couple of times before replying.

 

"If I tell you, I want full control back," The demand was high, and I wasn't expecting the thing to agree, especially when it tensed up and growled; however, I stood strong and did not say a single word until the thing finally gave in.

 

"Fine; I'll give you your control back when you explain what you despise so much about being an Omega," Brown eyebrows shoot to the sky as astonishment colors my face; I hadn't been expecting that, but I was happy that I would regain control.

 

"I despise being being that," I place emphasizes on the word "that" as I gesture towards the thing, who glared in response to the disgust coating my voice. "because I'm fated to be a a toy to sleep with and discard! Because I'm an Omega, I've lost all freedom and am forced to live as the the pack slut! Because I'm an Omega, I'm deprived of the basic necessity that even makes me human! I'm deprived of freedom, and I'm deprived of my virtue! That's why I despise being an Omega-because I can't even say I'm human any more due to the fact I don't have what every human should have: freedom."

 

By the end of my rant, my chest is heaving, my cheeks are on fire, my breath is coming out in pants, and my hands are curled in to fists; I don't bother examining the thing's expression as I abruptly stand up and stalk towards the front. Before I enter the external environment, I hear a sentence come out of the thing's mouth.

 

"You ignorant boy."

 

Giving the thing a frosty glare, I enter the external environment; I blink for a few moments before gazing at the man in front of me, who had a tormented expression on his face. My eyes rake Horan's face before I'm jerked out of my observations by Horan slamming his fist against the locker right near my ear.

 

"Hey!" The outraged word escapes my lips as I send the taller male a glare that were a thousand daggers. "Watch were you hit, Horan! You could've hit my ear, and I have zero tolerance when it comes to pain!"

 

"Shut up, Styles! I don't care what you can tolerate and what you can't; and, I don't care what you think, either," I jerk back in to the lockers in shock at the harsh tone escaping Horan's pierced lips; thinning my lips in to a straight line while ignoring the agonized whimper resonating from my mind, my attentions zooms in on Horan's eyes, which were narrowed in to snake slits and were no longer smothered in crimson red. 

 

"Good to see we're mutual in this thing we have," I shove the thing, who was frantically trying to gain control and apologize as if I had done something, away as I focus my attention on Horan. 

 

" We, " Horan lowly hisses as he slams me back in to the lockers, "do not have any thing together; understand, Styles? You and I are not a thing, and we never will be!"

 

Those words felt like knives, and they were swiftly hacking through the skin covering my bones with a brutality I had never expected; when I'm slammed in to the lockers again, I instantly let out a whine-which I resented yet evoked those familiar crimson orbs before they returned to icy blue-and struggle to squash down any other reactions made by that thing.

 

"It wasn't like he slammed me particular hard, either; so, why am I in so much pain?" I silently wondered as I struggled to find the source for the agony consuming my body; struggling to get out of the hands tightly holding me, I release a human growl as my attention flies up to Horan's face.

 

"Trust me, Horan, the feeling is one hundred percent mutual!" Seething those words, I ward off the waves of remorse; I wasn't sorry for saying those words, and I wasn't going to apologize. Horan was the first to start it, and I'm going to be the last to end it; after all, neither of us want each other in the other's life, so the regret I'm feeling is nothing but artificial. "As long as you stay as far away as possible from me, then I'll be fantastic!"

 

"Don't get such a big head, Styles; I didn't want to go any where near you in the beginning!" Horan's response is filled with the same amount of hatred as mine was, and the glares we shared both reflected the same animosity as our voices. "Don't worry, though; I'll make sure I stay away from you. I wouldn't want you to throw yourself at me like you did before."

 

All the agony I was feeling during our discussion, all the pieces I felt breaking, for some unknown reason, from my heart, instantly faded away as fury blindsided me; with my vision filled with red and outrage seeping through my pores, I lunge at Horan and throw a punch. The crack that resonated throughout the hallway was satisfying, but before I can bask in the smoky odor polluting the hallway, I'm flung out of my mini victory by a fist colliding in to my cheek.

 

I stagger back gripping my cheek before meeting Horan's eyes, which were darkened with rage; releasing a war cry, I lunge at the taller male and began fighting with all I had. Fists were flying, nails were clawing, teeth were biting, legs were kicking, and heads were banging; every thing happened quickly and blurred in to a multitude of colors as I blocked some of my enemy's attacks but mostly received the brutal end of them. However, by the time we were pulled apart by two teachers, I noticed with a sadistic satisfaction the claw marks and bruises adorning Horan's face and arms-proof of my capability to endure a fight.

 

"That is enough!" I don't spare Mr. Martinez-Jackson a glance as he holds me back while commanding the other teacher to help assist him with taking the "two brats" to the Principal's office; my gaze drops to the floor as I scan my body for any major injuries. Snakes happily sank their elongated teeth in to my arms, neck, legs, and face, but the place that trembled and cried out in pain the most was my thundering heart.

 

Until the fight, only my boiling and rushing blood had been the sound I heard; as I began my journey towards the principal's office, I finally heard the wretched sobs coming from the thing. They were loud and filled with affliction, but I dismissed the noise and instead shot Horan a glare, which he returned instantly.

 

"Well, at least we both have established our hatred for one another," I look away from Horan as I sink in to my thoughts; I briefly notice when I was all but thrown in to the plastic chair sitting beside the principal's door. "I hate him, though; he all but implied I was the one who activated this cursed attraction!"

 

I squash down the anger rising not for the sake of Horan but for the sake of mum; I've already gotten in trouble now, and there's no need to put mum through more hell just because I can't control my anger. Shaking my head, I inhale only to growl and glare at Horan when his scent slithers in to my nose.

 

"Can't you sit, oh I don't know, a little bit father away?" My tone wasn't gentle or asking; it was frosty and commanding. 

 

"Grow up, Styles," Horan heatedly hisses as his eyes blaze with torches. "If you can't handle the scent, then why don't you just sit on the other side?"

 

Grinding my teeth together, I refrain from resuming our war and abruptly stand up and walk to the other set of chairs on the left of the principal's office; throwing myself on the first plastic chair, I cross my arms and began to drill a hole in the wall with my eyes. We're silent for a moment before Horan breaks it.

 

My attention anchors itself on Horan's moving lips that were making a sound too low for me to hear; I knew instantly he was saying something about me, what with the way he glanced at me after he went silent, and whether it was the remaining anger or the natural curiosity, I broke the silence and dared Horan to repeat what he just said.

 

"If it's about me, just come out and say it! Don't run away like a scared little boy!" I wasn't expecting Horan to jump out if his chair and stalk towards me with malicious growls escaping his mouth; I don't have time to prepare myself before I'm slammed against the wall and Horan's face is in mine.

 

"I hate you," It was simply three words I was already aware of, but instead of getting angry as I expected I would, I was steamrolled by a sudden wave of agony; I don't even notice Horan releasing me or stalking to the exit until I manage to grasp on to reality.

 

"I I ha ha," I struggle to get out my own confession, which seemed to cling to the back of my throat as if not wanting to come out; ignoring the thing, who frantically begged me not say the words I desired to say the most, I resumed my sentence, "I ha ha hat hate you, too."

 

Meeting Horan's eyes, we share a mutual examination before he stalks out of the room; although I had spoken the truth, I was punched in the gut by a multitude of waves. They crashed in to me and dragged me in to an endless void of sorrow. I part my lips and made an attempt to breathe only to sputter as my air way constricts. Letting a whine escape, I frantically claw at my neck as I reach out for the air I was being deprived of. Blots of darkness paints my vision as I slam in to the wall, and, with frenzy controlling my movements, I continue to claw my neck in an attempt to regain the air my heart was desperately beating out for.

 

Moving on autopilot, I throw my face between my thighs and gasp. Air rapidly comes in rushing in, and I greedily inhale all the oxygen in the room and replenish my failing system. Shivers rack my small form as poison makes its way to my eyes, which instantly filled with water; I shove a fist in my mouth and keep myself from making a noise as the tears swiftly began racing down my cheeks.

 

"I shouldn't be crying!" I bite my fist as my shoulders shake up and down with soundless sobs. "I shouldn't feel sad, either! I did the right thing! Both of us hate each other, and we've established our hate for one another! So, why why do I feel like I'm dying?" Squeezing my eyes closed, I allow the tears to readily fall and give the turbulent storm permission to sweep me away from reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! ♥ Bookmarks, kudos, and comments fuel this writer's drive! ^-^


	6. Chapter Five: Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Niall hates Harry; Harry hates Niall. Pity Fate and Destiny love to complicate things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Every part of AAJ is entirely fictional and in no way reflects reality or implies any truth to rumors.

"I hate you."

The tears, which had been streaming down in large packages minutes ago, had cased-only to be replaced by the endless cycle of hate and pain.

"I hate you."

The rough ragged voice-crisp, clear, and undeniable-rings throughout my ears, overpowering the tempestuous river flooding past my ear drums and conquering my hearing.

"I hate you."

"Shut up," I barely notice when my lips part and release the soft command, only focusing on those cruel words that repeated themselves over and over.

"I hate you."

"Shut up," Is it louder than the previous words? I can't tell-can't hear or think or feel. Everything, everything is consumed by only one sentence, one thought, one feeling:

"I hate you."

"Shut up," What were those vibrations crawling along my skin? Trembles, or shudders? I couldn't tell; I couldn't see any thing but distant white-the color of the tiles placed along the floor, perhaps? 

"I hate you."

All coherent thoughts instantly evaporate as his voice intervenes, destroying every hope of normalcy.

"I hate you." 

The cycle begins again, even more vicious and longer than before.

"I hate you."

"I hate you."

"I hate you."

Like a rubber band stretched too far, something inside me snapped; whether it was my will power, strength, or fortitude, I couldn't tell.

All I knew was rage devouring my mindset and blinding my eyes with red as I let out a shriek while I unconsciously picked up the plastic chair across from me-the one that had traces of Horan's scent lingering all over it.

"Shut up!" It was only until a thunderous bang sang through the tense air that the abrupt rage disappeared; the red covering my vision melted away along with the fury, leaving me with a scene unimaginable: plastic chairs were overturned, papers frantically strewn about the room, and wooden doors, whose windows were shattered, were half-open, metal creaking as they languidly swung back and forth. 

However, those weren't the only things I noticed when the scent of raw fish slammed into me. Green eyes snap away from the doors to Louis, who was standing as still as a statue with an ashen face; I open my mouth to call out to my best mate before noticing the pale blue wall and the fresh, circular, deep hole mere inches away from Lou's head-a crate caused by a chair I threw, I realize when green eyes fall upon said plastic chair, which was overturned.

"I did it again," I silently acknowledge as I begin backing away from my terrified childhood friend, letting the waves of self-loathing and guilt wash over me. "I made the one person who isn't related to me, who doesn't have any other reason to accept me other than his kindness and connection to me, afraid of me; not only that, I nearly killed him!"

I vaguely notice my back colliding into a wall before sliding down it, but it remains a trivial detail-nothing compared to the significance of my actions. "I nearly killed Louis, kind, flamboyant, considerate, comical, accepting Louis-Louis, my childhood friend, my best mate," The thought hops on a toy train and starts running around in circles inside my head, not pausing for a break-not stopping for even a moment.

"G Geez, Hazza, I never knew you loved me so much that you couldn't bear to have even a ch chair separate us," The hysterical laugh that escapes Lou's lips brings me out of my trance as I listen to his attempt to brush of the seriousness of my actions. "I feel so l loved."

"There he goes again," I thought as anger simmered underneath my skin-anger at myself for putting Lou in a position where he would have to act like everything I did was a harmless joke."

A hand suddenly occupies my vision, bringing my attention to Louis, who wore a warm and inviting smile. Tears spring to my eyes and begin falling in riverfalls; happiness squeezes my heart as reassurance swims through my head at the simple action that spoke a thousand words: "I trust you." "I love you." "I'm here." "I accept you."

Before I can take the outstretched hand, however, a cold gush of air assaults me as a foreign, mildew, rosy scent teases one of my five senses; the change is instantaneous: suddenly, terror grips my heart and my mind is polluted with flashing warning signs.

"Danger!" The internal red lights screech as I instinctively slap away the hand of truce. "Danger! Danger!" 

"Get away from me!" The screech that escapes my lips is high-pitched, desperate, and terrified, but I can't control it; I can't control the fear coursing through my veins, I can't control the pain lingering around my fingernails as they transformed from white nails to long, black, curved claws, and I can't control the warning signs blaring inside my head, telling me to get away from the foreign aroma poisoning the air-to get away from the threat.

"But, Lou's not a threat; he's my best mate!" The thought pierces through the green wall separating my thoughts and mind, but when the signs grow louder and brighter, the denial is lost; and, as the terror paralyzes my body, my vision is consumed with darkness as I desperately try to escape the scent, which was now polluted with smoke, I briefly noticed. 

I barely notice a whine leaving my lips as my back collides with a wall, but the details are lost as the aromas fill my head with thorns.

"Make it stop!" I silently begged, but the plea was lost in transmission as the ringing in my ears grew louder and louder, overpowering every other sound; but, before I'm conquered by the agony, I notice a boiling heat slithering over my arm like snakes. Impulsively, instinctively, I swipe my claws against the flames like a wild animal backed into a corner; and, as smoke fills the air, I take some small comfort in the cry of pain emitting from the threat.

"I hurt Lou!" It's a distant realization, and one I didn't believe until the mist hanging over my eyes cleared momentarily, allowing me to see the truth of that realization: there was Lou, crimson red rapidly seeping out of the three curved marks staining his hand, with fear, confusion, and pain covered all over his face.

"I'm a monster!" The thought abruptly turns the fear into anguish as tears start slipping from my eyes; I turn and claw at the wall, desperately trying to escape before I made another mistake; but, they wouldn't budge, not an inch; they remained just like the scars would on Lou's arm-scars I made. 

Letting out an agonized scream, I push my face between my legs, clench my eyes, and allow myself to swept away in the turbulent storm of emotions; the ringing in my ears goes silent as if I really were under water, and the only sound that was clear, crisp, and there was the thundering drums of my heart.

Thump,Thump,Thump,Thump.

It was like the deeper I fell underneath the invisible waves, the clearer my heart became.

Thump,Thump,Thump,Thump,Thump,Thump,Thump,Thump.

"Air," The voice was a mirror to mine, yet it was distant, distorted, as if it had been meant for my eardrums but only scratched the outershell. "Air."

"Why would I need air when I'm already breathing?" My question went unanswered as I feel deeper into a clear sea.

Thump,Thump,Thump,Thump,Thump,Thump,Thump,Thump, Thump,Thump,Thump,Thump.

"'Eathe!" Another voice suddenly pierced through my conscious, but it was distorted and too quiet. "'Eath, Ry."

Again, it came: "'Eathe! 'Eathe!" The voice was desparate, frantic, and begging for me to listen, but I couldn't-it was just too far away.

"'Reathe! 'Or 'd's 'ke, 'reathe, 'Rry," The voice was becoming clearer, but it was still so far away.

"What does it matter, any way?" I silently wondered as I drifted deeper and deeper into the sea. "I'm content where I am."

As I said those words, though, I felt a little worm wiggle in the back of my head, whispering I was missing something-something important.

"What could I be missing, though?" Before I could ponder on the question, the voice spoke again.

"'Arry, brea," The muffled voice faded away, yet it was become less distorted and more clear like an old bell whose metal parts needed oiling. "'Brea!"

"Brea?" I silently mouthed the words, seeking the word but finding none; but, still the voice came, each time getting louder and louder and louder and louder-until I finally heard it.

"For god's sake, breathe, Harry!"

I was Sleeping Beauty who had finally gotten the kiss required to awaken from her slumber.

Green eyes fly open as I let out a deep gasp, inhaling the oxygen I had unknowingly deprived myself of moments ago as I was drifting in the sea of death. Forcing all thoughts out of my head, I focus on breathing again. I deeply inhale and continuing inhaling into my stomach's bloated from the air I've consumed, and, like a balloon, I explode and release the carbon dioxide back into the room it retired in.

My gaze is trained on the floor as I replenish my spasming body; I briefly notice the black daggers are still substituting as my nails, but I file the information away and focus on calming my severly weakened body. An eternity passes by before my body finally returns to a semi-normal state, one that didn't make me feel as if I were an infant taking its first breaths.

"Harry!" The shriek causes me to flinch and cover my ears, which were thrumming with the vibrations the female's voice had caused. "Oh, baby."

Before I can move, frail, lean arms are wrapping around my waist and a clean aroma, that smells like cotton candy, is flooding my nose; but, instead of reacting as I had with Lou, I instantly melt in the embrace and the terror seeps out of my body as my mind recognizes the scent.

"Safe. Home. Safe. Home," It was a silent, repetitive mantra circling my brain, one that not only eliminated the terror I felt mere moments ago but also gave me the security I had been unknowingly seeking.

"You're safe," Her voice was gentle, and she spoke words I already knew; but, as if I were a light switch, they triggered the "off" button and allowed me to peacefully enter sleep as my physical and mentally taxed body finally collapsed.

~

When I wake up, my exhausted body stiffens as another battle commences: one that results from the pungent scent of salt, oranges, butter, and bread.

It's only when I constrict my nose with my index fingers and look to my bed side did I finally notice mum, who, immediately after noticing my actions, jumped up, grabbed the metal tray, and placed breakfast outside in the hall way. 

"Sorry, mum," I silently apologized as she returned and closed my bedroom. "but I couldn't stand the smell of orange juice, eggs, and buttered bread."

"Is that better, sweetheart?" Anne asks as she sits down on my desk chair before placing her elbows on the rumpled covers and taking my hands in her's, softly caressing my smooth skin. 

"Y ye ah, m um," I respond before clicking my mouth shut as I hear my soft, chopped voice; green eyes snap towards Anne's face, her eyes mirroring my fear. "M um, wh at's go ing on?"

Mum just shakes her head helplessly as she stares at me with a tormented expression. I continue to stare at her, desparately praying she would magically know the answers and cure my worsened stutters, but wishes were just mere wishes; and, in the end, the reality proved it: Mum didn't know why my stutter was worst and nearly incomprehensible, and she probably never would because I was an Omega, the rarest of rarest.

"It's just so fun being Omega!" My mental tone was biting and bitter, as I dropped my gaze to my lap and clenched my fist, not wanting my mum to see how much I hated this curse.

"It's okay, love," Warm hands cover my clenched fist and slowly pry the stiff fingers from my palm as I finally meet my mum's inviting eyes. "We'll figure out a way for you to communicate."

"Like how?" I silently challenged as I gave my mum a frustrated look before letting my gaze fall to my hands occupied by mum's fingers. "I don't know sign language, and I'll be caught dead stuttering in a way that will only leave people confused."

"We'll, we'll," Mum's forced optimism abruptly dies along with her sentence. 

Silence settles amongst us like an entity perching on its throne. My gaze turns to mum, and I examine her conflicted face before letting out a scoff and releasing her fingers.

"First, I nearly kill my best friend- twice," I seethed as I internally began listing the consequences of coming into this heritage. "Next, I wreck the office and do god knows how much damage; and, lastly, I lose the last freedom I have: my voice."

Roughly hitting the pillow, I prep my cushions before leaning against the headboard and beaming flames into the wall across me with my heated glare.

"I know you're angry, love," Mum's soft, reassuring voice does little to appease my outrage, but I give her the respect she deserves and turn my attention on her-glare excluded. "but, I promise you, we'll figure something out."

"Like what?" I throw Anne a cynical look along with a silent question, watching as she averted her eyes and squirmed underneath the intensity of my stare. 

"Like, like," Mum pauses before abruptly standing up as she snapped her fingers and rushes out of the room, returning with a blank board and a black marker that had a black eraser on top of its lid. "Like this!"

Green eyes examine the board and marker before turning towards Anne as I raised my eyebrows and gave her a flat look that asked my silent question, "You're kidding, right?"

"No, seriously!" Mum assures me as she sits down and shoves my way of communication in my lap. "By writing on this board, you can not only communicate, but you can also communicate without having to worry about a stutter."

I close my eyes and inhale before exhaling, shoving down the urge to scream or, worst, cry; already, I could see Lou behind my eyelids, looking down at my new "voice" and playfully belittling me with remarks like, "What a board, Haz!" "Nice mirror-ops, I mean way of communication." 

Feeling shudders crawl their way down my spine, I send a silent prayer to what ever kind deity existed-which I doubted there were any-and beseeched them to look deep into their soul and find what little kindness there was to keep Lou from laughing at me; or, worst, teasing me for the rest of my life, which was going to be a guarantee when I was forced to accept this wretched board.

"Please," Using my eyes, I pleaded my mum to find another way, but all I saw was firmness.

"Listen to me, Harry Edward Styles, and listen to me well: you will take this board and use it," Anne's voice was calm but threatening as her eyes narrowed in slits while a wide smile forced its way upon her lips.

"Yes, sir," I wrote on the board and held it up to her before saluting with a cheeky smile painted over my lips; and, the gentle smack to the back of my head was expected, of course.

"That's ma'am to you, mister," Anne playfully growls before standing up and smoothing her wrinkled, day-old clothes. "Now, that matter taken of, would you like to stay home or go to school?"

"I'm not suspended?" I wrote the question on the board and held it up for mum to see.

"No," Mum shakes her head with relief covering her face. "I convinced him suspension was exactly what you wanted, so menial labor would be the best punishment."

"Evil," I shot her a fake glare as I held up the one word covering the blank board.

"Naturally," In a Lou-like fashion, she flips her hair wildly before opening my bedroom door and turning around. "Now, home or school?"

"I guess school," I let out an exaggerated sigh before showing her my answer on the board.

"Alright, then," Anne claps her hands as she begins exiting my room. "You have exactly ten minutes to get to school."

Letting out a shriek, I tumble out of bed and begin frantically dressing.

"Oh, but that doesn't cover the time it will take you to eat all the food I made you for breakfast," Whipping my head towards Anne, who stood at the edge of the stairs with a smirk lingering around the corners of her lips, I hold up the board which held the previous word:

"Evil."

The only response I hear is bell-like laughter, one that I can't help but smile at; it doesn't take me long to get dressed and tidy myself up, but it does take me a considerably long amount of time to eat breakfast.

"It's not my fault, though," I argued with myself as I shoveled the eggs, which tasted like salt and other ingredients I never knew and never wanted to know existed inside the food, inside my mouth. "It's these stupidly amplified senses of mine."

I grimace when I accidentally bite the metal fork, the noise and feeling only adding to my brewing irritation. 

"Not a good day," I bitterly thought as I finished the rest of breakfast and placed the dirty dish in the dish bin. "Not a good day at all."

I kiss my mum's cheek before dashing out the front door, not expecting to see Louis standing there with his bag slung over his shoulders; of course, he clearly wasn't expecting me to come at him full-force either, judging by the shocked expression coating his face as we collided.

Simultaneously, both our mouths part as a gush of wind involuntarily escapes our stomachs as we crashed into the cement.

"Well, Lou took most of the force," I realized as I shot him an apologetic smile from on top of him, which he returned with a playfull vexed glare.

"Miss me much, Hazzy baby," Lou, naturally, took this moment and turned into something it should not be-funny. Trying to hide my smile, I begin righting myself when I'm stopped by the warm yet firm hands on my hips.

Shooting Lou a questioning glance along with a raised eyebrow, I examine his face and, after noticing the gleam radiating from his blue eyes, begin preparing myself for the fiasco Lou would act out.

"Now, now," Lou coos as he tightens his grip on my hips. "seeing as how much you missed me, what kind of man would I be if I didn't return the favor?"

The giggle that escapes my mouth is involuntarily and caused solely by Lou's dancing eyebrows, which were raising up and down and wiggling all around.

"Is this what the other parents call, "Experimenting"?" Anne's sudden voice quickly intervenes and breaks apart, my face flushing with blood and Lou's face turning into the perfect smirk.

"Well, I would like to think of it as persuading your darling son to elope with me, Mummy," Lou explains as he sweetly bats his eyelashes while keeping that playful smirk on his lips.

"Harry could do worst," Anne shrugs before throwing my backpack in front of me, following by the dreaded white board and marker; I quickly grab my things and, after placing my backpack on my shoulder, begin writing on the board.

"Thanks, mum," I hold up the board and let her see the words from her position at the threshold of the front door. "but what do you mean I "could do worst"? Is it insulting to me, or is it complimenting me?"

"Who knows?" Anne shrugs as she takes a sip from her tea cup, which she was holding with one hand, before smirking down at me. "Interpret it as you please."

Erasing the words, I repeat the word of the day that defines my mum to a t.

"Evil," I write on the board before showing mum as Lou and I began standing up.

"Have a good day!" Anne calls, and both Lou and I wave before starting on our trek to school.

"So, what's with the board, Haz?" Lou inquires as he examines the board I was carrying in my hand. 

"My stutter got worst, so mum gave me this so I could still communicate to others without having to worry about explaining what I said," I wrote on the board before showing my response to my blue eyed companion.

"Ah," Lou hums before gazing at his side; I shrugged off his intense stare and pegged it for interest in my board-until he speaks.

"So, what's with the distance?" Green eyes turn to perplexed blue as I give my best mate a baffled look in response to his question.

"What distance?" I write on my communication tool before showing Lou.

"That," Lou jerks his head between us. I turn my attention towards the place he indicated and abruptly pause in my tracks when I finally notice the gap: a long, rope-length distance separating our bodies.

"When did that happen?" I silently pondered as I stared at the distance before moving closer-except, I can't. Brown eyebrows furrow as I examine the distance before once more trying to move closer to look, but the result remains the same: I can't get any closer to Lou than what I am now as if there's an invisible barrier between us.

"Haz? What's going on?" Lou's concerned voice catches my attention as I turn my gaze to him.

I grab my board and begin responding, showing Lou my response when I'm finishing writing it: "I don't know, but for some reason, I can't any closer to you than this."

"Really?" Lou tilts his head as his face mirrors his tone: confused and concerned. "Let me try."

Gazing at Lou, I wait for him to move; but, when he does, I instantly take a step back-an action that catches both Lou's and I's attention.

"Harry, did you just," Lou's voice trails off as he stares into my eyes with hurt written all over his face, but, when I shake my head vigoursly and shrug my shoulders, the hurt disappears when he examines my reaction.

"Let's try again," Lou murmured as he returned his attention to the gap. Once more, he takes a step forward, and, once more, I instinctively take a step back.

Step forward; step backwards.

Step forward; step backwards.

It was an impulsive, instinct reaction, one I tried to control each time Lou stepped forward, and, each time, I failed.

"Well, this could be a problem," Lou states the obvious as he finally stops walking towards me, and, to make matters even more complicated, I actually felt relieved when he did stop. "Are you controlling it?"

"No," I write my response on my board and show it to Lou, giving him the most bewildered expression I could muster.

"Well," Lou pauses before he gives me a carefree smile that didn't match the storm raging in his ocean depths. "life is never a dull moment with you, is it, Hazza?"

Releasing a tormented sigh, I sag forward before Lou slaps my back; the slight sting instantly turns into agony as the flames lick the place where my best mate had hit, and, when he tries to wrap his arm around my shoulder, I hear a quiet snap ring throughout my ears as everything around me blurs into mixed, distorted colors. When I return from what ever that was, I noticed Lou standing far away from me with a red cheek and hands held up in surrender.

"Woah there, rodeo," Lou calls as he remains in his position with fear thinly veiled behind his eyes. "let's not get too violent, yeah partner?"

Guilt hits me like a truck, and the anguish is only amplified when the scent of dead fish fills my nostrils, making me gag and flinch at its implications.

"I did it again," I silently stressed as I glare down at the gray pavement; my fists clench into tight balls as I was sucked into my remorseful thoughts. " Over and over, I end up harming Lou in a way that always results him in scared and nervously sweeping the matter under the rug."

"Haz," Lou's voice snags my attention, as I turn my gaze from the ground to him, who wore a gentle smile and calm eyes. "I know what you're thinking right now, and I want you to stop. No matter what you do to me, scratch me, claw me, slap me, kick me, or bite me, I will always view you as my best mate-as my Hazzy."

"L o u," His name, chopped and cut short as a result of my worsened stutter, involuntarily leaves my lips, as the water facets are turned on and tears begin pooling in my eyes.

"Haz," Lou responds with a wide smile as he steps close and begins lowering his arms, only to step back and re-raise his arms when an involuntarily threatened growl escapes my lips.

I blink before looking down at my body as I raised my trembling hands, confused as to why that growl left my lips, why I suddenly felt threatened, why I was scared of Louis.

"Lou, I'm sorry," I write on the board after analyzing my body; when I show him, I'm temporarily relieved by his grin and flippant hand wave, but I quickly return to my body as I finally notice the thing.

"You're causing this, aren't you?" I silently snarl at the thing dwelling inside my body as I begin walking with Lou, who made sure to remain at least five feet away from me. "You're the reason Lou has to walk far from me just to avoid getting smacked-or worst, clawed!" 

My train of thought comes to a screeching halt when I recall yesterday and all the things I had done. Green eyes snap towards Lou's right arm, noting the hoodie conveniently covering the marks that were no doubt there. I immediately grab my board and begin writing on it, and, once I'm finished, I stomp my foot to gain Lou's attention, since I couldn't even reach out to him without my arm instinctively moving back to my side.

"Lou, you're arm-" The rest of my response goes unread when Lou grabs my marker and erases the words on the board; I gaze at Lou in shock before flinching back when I notice the cold, firm expression marring his face.

"It's nothing, Harry," His voice is soft but curt, and his reflect the same intensity as he hands me back the mark. "Do you understand? It is nothing."

All I can do is nod my head in response to the sudden onslaught of calm aggression and force down the sudden uneasiness and fear I felt simmering beneath my skin.

"This is Lou: my best mate, my childhood friend, and my clowny, flamboyant companion," I reassure myself as we resume walking, but I can't shake the lingering fear.

"I'm sorry, Haz," I move my stare, which had settled on the pavement, towards my companion who was giving me a sheepish, apologetic smile. "The reason I was, well, aggressive was for a good cause: I didn't want you obtaining any more guilt than what you already have; and, don't deny, Harry, you have a lot of guilt. So, I just didn't want to add another item to your already full plate."

"Lou," I silently called his name as I gave him a grateful smile, letting waves of relief soothe me before I hold up my fist for a fist bump. Lou instantly brightens and brings his hand towards mine before pausing when I stiffened.

"Air fist bump!" Lou cheers as he bumps the air in my direction, responding to my apologetic smile with a care-free smile as I return the air fist bump. Once we completed our new fist bump, we resumed our journey to school and get there with plenty of time to spare.

"Are you ready?" Lou suddenly whips around and blocks my path, as he morphs his face into a somber statue. 

"For what?" I hold up the board with my response on it after I write it.

"For it," Lou somberly replies as he gazes at me with tense shoulders and clenched fists.

"It?" The board's single word reflects my confusion as I examine my childhood friend.

"It is it," Lou vaguely answers, and I would have continued being bewildered by his sudden change of personality and mysteriousness-had it not been for the corners of his lips twitching.

"Move, Lou," I send my dramatic mate a pointed glare as I hold up the board.

"Yes, your majesty," Lou bows and steps aside.

"I thought you were the Queen?" The question on the board brings a smile to my lips and a haughty smirk on his.

"I'm feeling gracious today, peasant," Lou sniffs for effect as he turns his head and sticks his nose in the air. "Enjoy it while you can."

"Why, thank you oh so much, your majesty," The mocking glance I give Lou along with the eye-roll enforce the sarcasm the silent words on the board project.

"Sarcasm gets you no where, young man," Lou scolds, but I just give him another eye roll before entering the hallway, noting the glances and whispers that suddenly ignited but ignored them in favor of focusing on Lou, who took to the spot light like a true actor.

A chuckle escapes my lips now and then as Lou acts the part of a new, stereotypical celebrity.

"Why, thank you; thank you," Lou bows and waves at the students gazing at us with amusement seeping from his every pore. "Yes, this is the one and only Harry and Louis duo; we'll give you our autographs later, but the lime light calls, so tootles."

However, before I can write a remark in response to Lou's words, an all too familiar scent assaults my nose; the thought of comments and Lou fade away as chocolates and nature, as home, fills my senses, leaving me breathless and with a veil of mist covering my eyes.

I briefly notice my body jerkily and clumsily moving like a robot, but before I can move more than a couple of feet, I feel a hand press against my chest, effectively lifting the mist and clearing my head.

"Harry," Lou's concerned voice snags my attention. "you okay, mate?"

Licking my dry lips, I shake my head to clear the mist away complete, but it still lingered, before giving Lou a reassuring smile.

"Yeah," I remember to grab my board and write my response on it.

"What happened?" Lou softly whispers as he retracts his hand before moving closer only to step back when I stiffen once more. "You got this hazy look in your eyes, like you weren't there, and you had your arms up like you were about to wrap your arms around their waist; not to mention, you were moving towards..."

When Lou trails off, I follow his gaze, which shot towards the last person I wanted to see or be near: Horan. He had his usual leather jacket and black attire, but, thankfully, his back was turned towards me and his face was inside his locker.

The sudden vision of him makes the thing whine, so I quickly jerk my head away and begin briskly walking down the hallway; I almost forget Lou as well, but he manages to catch up while maintaining the required distance.

"Haz, what was that all about?" Lou's question has me pausing in my tracks; I keep my face forward as I try to reassemble everything into the picture perfect image of confusion.

"I'm not quite certain either, Lou," I wrote on the board before finally turning to face him as I lifted my new "voice".

"Are you sure? You didn't feel or hear anything?" I knew what Lou was implying when his gaze lingered on the crown of my head, but I force a placid smile as I shake my head and erase the board.

"Positive," Is the word written on the board as I lift it up.

"Okay," Louis drops the subject, but, judging the knowing look he shot me, I knew we would be talking about it later in a more secure place. "By the way, what's your schedule?"

"You already know my schedule, Lou; after all, you're in nearly all my classes," I write on the board before turning my head towards him with raised eyebrows.

"I know, but there's a rumor going around that our schedules may change, so I want to make sure we have at least some of our classes together," Lou explains as we arrive at our lockers, which were coincidentally side-by-side; when we first saw this, we were ecstatic, but now Lou was forced to stand behind me and wait to put his items inside because if he was any where near me, I went all gung-ho on him.

"I have Algebra first, then Literature, next is Biology, then Business, and then there's lunch; after lunch, I have Culinary Arts, and Study Hall's last," I write my schedule on the white board before turning around and showing Louis. 

"I share Algebra, Literature, Biology, lunch, and Study Hall with you, but not Culinary Arts," Lou murmurs, and he merely smirks when I shoot him a knowing look when he stated the obvious. "This is the part where you say, "Oh, darling, handsome, Louis, what class replaces your time with me?""

I immediately gag and smirk at his wounded expression before giving in once he turned on those water works.

"Oh, damned darling, horrifically handsome, lousy Louis, what class replaces your time with quite-happy-to-be-alone me?" I write my question on the board with a smirk covering my face now.

"Shame on you, Harry, for turning my wonderful words into," Louis pauses as he puts in his items and keeps the rest needed for our first two classes before turning around and continuing with an exaggerated look of disgust coloring his face as he jerked his chin towards the words on my board. "what ever that is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you once again for reading! ♥


	7. Chapter Five: Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Niall hates Harry; Harry hates Niall. Pity Fate and Destiny love to complicate things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "An Alpha's Jealousy," is made up of nothing more than my creativity.

Both of us maintain our act for a moment before bursting into peals of laughter as we began heading towards our first class while maintaining a respectable distance before I pause as I recall our previous conversation.

"Hey, Lou?" I stomp my foot and show Lou, who immediately turned towards me after hearing my stomp, the board.

"Yes?" Lou waits as I erase the words and write my new sentence.

"Yesterday, how did mum get to the front office?"

"I convinced the principle, who was, thankfully, out at the time you had your, well," Louis' voice trails off as he tilts his head and thinks for a moment before continuing. " moment that you were PMSing and that only Anne could make you better." 

The moment he spoke, I was immediately grateful-until I heard the rest of the explanation and noticed the devious smile crawling along Lou's lips; and, with no shame or remorse, I write the one word that was beginning to describe every one close to me.

"Evil," The black word popped out at Lou from the white board, causing him to smirk and wiggle his eyebrows.

"Oh, boy, you ain't seen nuthin' yet," I can't help but chuckle at Lou's sassy response before erasing the word and focusing on my constantly animated companion.

~

It was after Algebra was over that Lou asked me what happened.

"So, what happened?" Lou turns around and faces me, propping his elbows on top of my desk as he nestled his chin into his knuckles. "And don't say, "Nothing," because something did happen, and don't say, "We don't have time," because we have exactly ten minutes left before class ends."

Letting a defeated sigh leave my throat, I grab my board and write the shortened version of yesterday's incident, or in this case, the shortened version of the "story;" while I do so, I squash down the threatened, uneasy feeling boiling beneath my skin and reassure myself that I was completely and utterly safe.

"I was heading back to class, and got ambushed by Horan. He was angry, yelled at me-something about touching someone-and then kissed me. The thing inside me took control and made me return the gesture; then, I regained control by answering a question, and Horan and I argued. I punched him, and he punched back; we fought, and then we got caught. Finally, we declared our mutal hate in an epic showdown in the front office. The end."

"Amazing," Lou breathed as he applauded me for my storytelling abilities. "What was the question?"

"Why I didn't like being that," I write on the board and discreetly show Louis, who immediately nods after seeing it.

"I see," Louis hums before tilting his head to the side as he gazed at the white brick wall. "Why ask something so obvious, I wonder?" 

"I don't know, and I don't care," I write on the board before erasing the words and writing once more. "The less I know, the better off and happier I am."

"True," Lou hums before abrupting jerking up as his eyes widen into circular saurces. "Wait a minute, did you say he kis-"

I quickly slam a hand over Lou's mouth when I hear that wretched word slip out of his mouth, one that brought memories I didn't want to remember and ignited an unfamiliar tingling along my lips that I did not notice; it wasn't hard to tell what he was about to say, nor was it hard to tell how his almost full confession caught the attention of close students.

Giving Lou a pointed glare, to which he responded with apologetic eyes, I lean back in my seat and begin erasing the remaining words off my board.

"Sorry," The apology is spoken softly and remorsefully, and I look up to send my companion a reassuring smile.

"It's fine; I just don't want you getting in trouble because you're hanging out with a "fag,"" I roll my eyes at the slur as I show Lou my board. "Besides, I really don't want any trouble this year, you know?"

"Amen to that, brother," Lou nods his head up and down before giving me smile. "If it was for you, I'd go through what ever trouble may come-as long as you ensure I have a fresh set of clothes with you at all times. Just because the world's in flames doesn't mean I have to sacrifice my good looks for it."

Seeing the opportunity, I quickly write my response on my board before showing it to Lou with a playful grin teasing the corners of my lips: "What good looks?"

"How dare you!" Lou releases a dramatic gasp as he holds his hand up to cover his mouth while his eyes widen. "I have plenty of good looks, mister! Y You're grounded when we get home!"

"What are you: my mum?" I erase my previous question and replace it with a new one.

"No, but I'm sure I can say something to convince her you're in need of a good punishment-or spanking, which ever she's in the mood for."

"Mum has never spanked me and never will," I write on the board before leaning back and shooting look a victorious smirk, but I could never prepare myself for what he said next.

"Oh, I see now," Louis' voice softens as he gazes at me with pity written all over his face and tone. "so, that's how you came to be this way: running rampage freely because you did not receive the necessary attention required to fix your naughtiness."

"There, there," Louis coos as he pats the air above my hand while locking eyes with me. "I'm certain there's a cure out there somewhere- may be."

I roll my eyes as Louis starts roaring with laughter, unconsciously clapping his hands as he lent back in his seat.

"Evil," Was the only word written on my board as he gave him a playful glare before joining in on the fun.

Once we were finished laughing, Louis turned serious as he lent forward again.

"Tell me, though," Louis quietly murmurs as he somberly stares at my face. "did Mr. Martinez-Jackson catch you? Please say he did- please! Lie if you have to!"

I roll my eyes before writing on the board, "I don't have to lie-I couldn't even if I wanted to. Mr. Martinez-Jackson did catch us." The whoop of joy that escapes Lou's mouth makes yesterday's even seem a little more tolerable.

"Oh, the emotion I'm feeling right now, Hazzy," Lou turns to me with gleaming eyes and a wide, endless smile. "I'm so, so happy knowing we gave that man another reason to hate us and stress every time he sees us; seriously, his hair will be covered in gray when May comes, and I will enjoy every moment of it because, honestly, what possessed devil told him to go into a field where he would work with kids! He's all gruffy, grouchy, grumpy-"

With a smile tugging at the corner of my lips, I listen to Louis complain about his most beloved teacher.

~

"This restroom is unfit for use due to plumbing issues; we apologize for the inconvenience," The white letter hanging onto the wooden restroom door states in black inky letters.

Growling, I glare at the letter as if it were it's fault the toilets or what ever wasn't working like it should before turning on my heels and walking down two flights of stairs just to use the eleventh grade's men's restroom.

"Thank god Lou was asked to stay behind by our Algebra teacher," I thought as I pushed open the wooden door and entered the clean room that was polluted with the pungent smell of disinfects. "Otherwise I would be forced to listen to his teasing remarks like, "Looks like you're going to have to hold, Hazza!" and, "What a pity; it seems like nowadays a mythical creature just can't use the potty in peace.""

The last remark has my eyebrow and lips twitching as I washed my hands before walking out into the empty hallway just as the first warning bell rang; letting out a groan, I begin rushing up the flights of stairs while mentally pleading any entities to, under any circumstances, not make me late.

"Because if I'm late," I began internally talking to myself. "Mr. Martinez-Jackson will no doubt tear into me like a feral bear while spitting comments such as, "How dare a mere brat such as yourself be late to an important class such as this?" and, "You think time waits for you, Mr. Styles? Time waits for no one-and the sooner you realize that, the better of you'll be!" and-"

My thoughts are rattled and fly straight out of my head as I roughly collide with a sturdy chest, and I barely notice myself falling as my nose is assaulted with a firm, steady aroma of salt water; but, I do notice lean, firm arms wrapping my waist and halting my flight through air before righting me.

"And oh my god his arms are amazing," The thought flies through my head as I melt into the warm embrace and bask in the security swimming through my veins. The full image of my savior was even better, I realize when I finally look up and connect with gentle auburn eyes that seemed to ignite like Fall leaves in the sun.

He has smooth, unblemished ochre skin that seems to add an ethereal glow about his being, and, along with a tall and toned structure, his short, curly bistre hair adds to the theme of "Out-of-this-world."

"And he is so very cute," I silently complimented my gorgeous savior as I almost begin drooling over him-almost, that is until he speaks.

"Are you okay, love?" The husky tenor voice that glides out of his pink lips instantly stabs my heart and destroys every strength in legs.

"Am I in heaven? Is this the entity, that cursed me and gave me this new life, being kind for once by giving me this gorgeous angel?" I pondered the question for a moment before throwing it away to give my full attention to the sexy stranger.

"I I'm well; thank you for your concern," I slowly and unwillingly step out of his embrace as I send the man an embarrassed but grateful smile as I finally respond. 

"And, thank you for catching me, um," I let a soft, nervous giggle as I shyly avert my eyes before looking back at him as I continue. "I'm sorry, but what's your name?"

"Adrian," The savior responds easily as he gives me a warm smile. "Adrian Kevin Jett. May I request for your name as well, love?"

"Adrian," I breathe out his name before stiffening as blood filled my cheeks in mortification before I stumbled over my reply. "I I mean H Harry; my name is Harry Edward Styles, and it's a pleasure to meet you, A Adrian."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Styles," Adrian bows his head as he responds to my greeting before stretching out his hand and motioning towards mine. "May I?"

Tilting my head, I give him a baffled look before placing my hand on top of his, noticing the difference immediately: his was large, rough, callus, and had many story lines engraved into the palm, while mine were soft and smooth and smaller; but, the moment his soft lips gently touched my hand, all differences melted away as I instantly relaxed and restrained myself from doing something embarrassing.

"Thank you," Adrian murmurs as he straightens his back and, after tilting his head down, gives me a small smile. "It's a weird tradition, I know, but my family and I follow tradition, so please forgive me if I came on too strong."

"Didn't come on strong enough," I briefly played with that thought before shoving it away as I felt my cheeks heat up even more.

"N Not at all," I quickly reassure the taller male. "I'm sorry if I made you insecure or any thing; it's just, well, that's never been done to me before, so..."

My cheeks fill with more blood as my sentence trails off, leaving me feeling far more embarrassed and uncomfortable than I've ever felt before.

"Dear god, he probably thinks I'm a freak now or something," Wishing a hole would swallow me whole, I avert my eyes in response to my mental breakdown; however, when my savior's sweet rumbling laughter breaks through my thoughts, I rebuke that wish on being swallowed whole.

"You need not to distress, Mr. Styles, as I assure you I did not take any offense from your considerate words," Adrian calmly reassures me as he sends me an amused grin, one that I find I instantly return.

"Harry's fine, you know?" I offer as I wave my hand through the air in order to strengthen the image of informality.

"Forgive me, but honor commands me to give you respect and earn my place before I could ever converse with you so casually," Adrian bows his head as he explains his reason for calling me, "Mr. Styles." 

When the final bell rings, though, all the curiosity I felt peeked after his explanation were momentarily forgotten as panic seizes my heart.

"Go, Mr. Styles," Adrian gives me a patient smile as he steps aside and motions down the hallway. "I do not wish my being to result in your tardiness."

Shooting my kind, handsome savior a grateful smile, I thank him profusely before rushing down the hallway with a wide, ear-splitting grin stretched stupidly across my face; the scolding I get from Mr. Martinez-Jackson right in front of the entire class doesn't even mar it or the joy flooding through my veins.

~

"I hope every one has been paying attention to this lesson because if you're paired up with another idiot like yourself, then you will no doubt fail this project and class-so, please, spare me from having to see any of you brats for another year," Mr. Martinez-Jackson stalks down the rows as he hands out the project papers and are assigned partners while degrading us.

"I got Lou!" I mentally cheered as I gave my childhood friend a grin, which he returned as he wildly waved his paper around.

"Mr. Tomlinson, it is paper-not a bird," Mr. Martinez-Jackson immediately scolds as he begins erasing the chalkboard before continuing. "Now, please pair up with your respective partners and work on your project."

I chuckle at Lou, who was sticking his tongue at Mr. Martinez-Jackson's back, as I stood and moved my desk until it was side-by-side with Lou's.

"So, what's with the smile, Haz?" Louis inquires with a gleam emitting from his blue eyes as he turns his attention on to me once I was settled. "I haven't seen you look so happy and flushed since, well, I can't remember, actually."

I instantly grab my board before pausing when I recalled my conversation with Adrian-the one in which I spoke without a single stutter.

Brown curls bounce as I whip my head towards Lou with a joyous smile coating my lips before I open my mouth and speak:

"..."

Silence.

Green eyes widen as I try once more to speak- nothing. Brown eyebrows furrow as I lean back into the metal chair and allow the happy smile to drop off my face.

"I just spoke to Adrian not moments ago," I silently argued as I began pondering the reason for my silence around Louis. "So, why aren't I speaking now?"

Before I can think further on the matter, a tapping sound breaks through my thoughts; turning my gaze from my pale granite desk, I focus on Lou, who stopped tapping his hand against the desk and shot me a concerned look.

"Is every thing okay, Harry?" Louis inquires as he gives me his full attention while his face was further etched with worry. "Did something happen?"

"I spoke a couple minutes ago in the hallway," I grabbed my board, wrote my response, and showed Lou, who immediately began reading it. "with Adrian, who caught me when I almost fell down a flight of stairs; but, for some reason, I can't talk to you-really, my voice won't come out at all!"

"I thought you said it was just your stutter?" Louis asks before examining my face with bewilderment and worry dictating his facial expressions.

"It was," I erased the board, wrote my new response, and showed my companion. "but now, I don't have a voice at all!"

"Life just keeps throwing them curveballs at you, ay Haz?" Lou teases as he sends me a calm, reassuring smile, clearly hoping to calm the distress that was beginning to fill my head.

"By the way," Lou immediately turns on to a different topic as a smirk, one that sends shivers down my spine as dread grips my heart, crawls along his lips. "whose Adrian?"

I can't stop myself from blushing as I quickly avert my eyes before nibbling on my bottom lip; it was the purr I heard escape Lou's lips that I knew I was doomed.

"My, my, my," My blue eyed partner coos, which immediately has my attention on him, as he settles back into his chair and crosses his arms over chest. "quite the reaction, no? So, tell me, blushing-and-clearly-embarrassed Harry: who's Adrian?"

Keeping my lips firmly shut, I start writing on the project paper in hopes of dissuading Lou from his interrogation, but my silence only fueled his will to interrogate me.

"Come now, you can tell your uncle Louy," However, before Lou can continue his ruthless methods of teasing me, Mr. Martinez-Jackson intervenes as he steps in front of our desks.

"Mr. Tomlinson," His voice is cold and covered in disdain as he turns his stare onto Lou, whose mouth immediately clacked shut. "should ever any one have the unfortunate to call you "uncle," I, an atheist, would happily go to church and pray for them. Now, I think you both have something better to do than gossip like meddling ladies, no?"

Both Lou and I lower our gazes and nods our head, waiting until he returned to his desk before shooting each other a grin; once we were certain we were in the clear, we began working on the project.

"So, really, whose Adrian?" An irritated sigh escapes my lips as Lou returns to his interrogate not five minutes into the project. "Please tell me, Hazza- please! Pretty please with a cherry on top?"

Giving Lou a harmless glare, I grab my board and write my response: "Fine. Adrian is just someone who caught me before I could break my neck on a flight of stairs."

"Your reaction doesn't make this Adrian sound like "just someone,"" Lou notes as amusement begins gleaming in his eyes once his words brings even more heat to my cheeks. "Actually, it sounds like this Adrian is someone very special to you."

"Stop it!" I shove my board, which had my command written on it, in Lou's face as my cheeks ignite in flames; and, if it had not been for Mr. Martinez-Jackson sending us a glare, I'm certain Lou would have continued to tease and interrogate me.

~

By the time our Literature class ends and we enter the bustling and crowded hallway, I had caught Lou up on all the details.

"So, like a knight in shining amour, he appeared and saved you from falling to your death?" I don't have to look to my side to know Lou's smirking and is positively ecstatic with the new information he gained.

"Yes, Lou," I send my friend a pointed look as I hold my board and release an exhausted sigh.

"I love you, Lou," I silently thought as I began erasing my board. "but, when it comes to gossip, you know no bounds. Hell, the way he interrogated me was positively exhausting! He was constantly asking questions like "What's he look like? Be descriptive!" and, "What happened after he caught you?""

"Is that your Prince Charming?" Letting a loud groan leave my lips, I send my best mate a helpless glance as we walk into the Biology room before finally looking towards the place he was gazing at-the place where none other than Adrian sat.

Abruptly, I stop walking as my eyes widen and a crimson dust gathers along my cheeks and the bridge of my nose; completely forgetting about Lou, I analyze the seating arrangements as my heart began speeding up.

"In Biology, Mrs. Hart always pairs students up with the people behind them," I begin mentally to myself as my attention wandered through the double rows; each column had two black granite desks with a sink in the middle and two chairs seated behind each desk, and there were six rows total. "So, if Adrian's in the first row, and I'm in the second row, then we'll be partnered up."

My dust piles heavily along my cheeks as I realize that I'd be spending more time with Adrian-a fact that did not go unnoticed by Lou, either, who instantly began cackling.

"Well, well, well, fate sure is kind to you today, Mr. Styles." I glare at Lou, who smiles innocently when he slips in the term Adrian called me, as my cheeks grew redder and my embarrassment soars higher; before I can wish for a ground to swallow me whole, Lou playfully elbows me in my ribs efore gliding towards our desk, which we shared together. Squashing down the whine I felt thrumming beneath my vocal chords, I ignore the snakes feasting on the rib Lou slightly hit before following his tracks, as I settle in, I finally notice the concern etched on Adrian's face.

Uncertain as to what he was concerned about, I gave him my best reassuring smile, which, while it clearly did not appease him judging by the remaining worry, slightly relieved him; and, I'm further startled, when he turns and gives Lou a warm, kind smile.

"He has such a wonderful personality," I cooed silently as I gazed at the back of the older male's head with half-lidded eyes.

"He has such a wonderful personality," Lou coos quietly, as he sends me a smirk upon noticing my blushing, fearful face. "Don't worry, darling, you didn't say any thing out loud; I merely figured it was going through your head."

However, before I can respond or scold Lou for saying such a thing- especially for saying it when Adrian was so close-Mrs. Hart breezily enters the room with a soft clap, a wide smile, and a pair of gleaming eyes.

"Good morning, every one!" The short, ginger haired lady cheerfully calls as she begins moving towards the chalk board; without wasting a moment, she immediately grabs one of the chalk pieces and, after we return her greetings, begins explaining the lab assignment we would be doing.

"Every one knows the drill, right? Students in the first row are paired up with the student behind you in second row; students in the third row are partnered with the student behind you in fourth row; and students in fifth row are partnered with the student behind you in sixth row," Mrs. Hart explains as she hands a student the lab assignments to pass out. "Have fun!"

Once the assignments are passed out, students immediately begin pairing up with their respective partners; and, with a lingering smirk curling at the corners of his lips, Lou turns to me with gleaming skies. 

"Indeed, have fun, Mr. Styles," Lou snickers before popping out of his seat and taking Adrian's with little more than a wiggle of his eyes and a knowing grin.

"Hello again, Mr. Styles." The blush darkens even further as Adrian's smooth voice glides over my senses, filling them with contentment that I know will linger.

"Well, hello to you, too, Mr. Jett," I immediately respond as I give my partner a shy smile before tensing up and snapping my attention towards Lou, who was gazing back at me with mirrored astonishment.

"You spoke!" Lou's eyes screamed the noise as we began conversing with our eyes.

"I know, right!" I immediately reply as the corners of my eyes crinkle when a grin spreads over my lips.

"How did this happen, though?" Lou's eyes flicked between Adrian and I as he asked the silent question.

"I have no idea," I give my friend a remorseful look as I shrug my shoulders and silently respond; but, before Lou and I could further discuss the matter, Adrian's voice snags my attention.

"Shall we begin?" Adrian offers as he motions to our lab assignment.

"Of course; definitely!" The booming, cheerful response slips out of my mouth before I can edit the volume; flames lick my face as the students near us turned and gave me a puzzled look.

"Then we shall begin," Adrian's amused voice yanks my gaze from the desk to his gleaming embers as he gives me a sweet smile that immediately erased all my embarrassment and put me at ease.

Although Biology had never been my strong suite, I managed to pass through the lab in minutes, but it was really all thanks to Adrian, who took to the assignment with ease and confidence.

"You're amazing, Adrian!" The praise instantly leaves my lips as I look over our assignment before blushing and scratching the back of my head with nervousness etched into every movement. "I mean, I've never completed a lab report this fast before, you know?" 

"Then again," I couldn't help but let out a forced chuckle as I avoid looking at the handsome and intelligent man in order to hide the sudden swell of insecurity I felt rising. "I'm not really good at Biology." 

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, Mr. Styles," The tenor's voice easily persuades my eyes to gaze up at my partner, who gazed down at me with gentle, accepting eyes. "Perhaps you're skills may not be as high-leveled compared to when you perform something you enjoy, but I know that, as long as you apply yourself, you are capable of being good at anything; and, while I thank you for such considerate, praise-worthy words, I really am mediocre at such topics as Biology."

"Oh, damn, he's perfection itself," I silently moaned inside my head when his ochre cheeks flame with tinges of red as he shyly looks away after finishing his speech.

"Thank you, Adrian" I murmur as I impulsively lay my hand on top of his knuckles, grinning at the way his cheeks flamed even more. "but, please don't put yourself down; you really are talented at Biology." 

"Thank you, Mr. Styles," Adrian responds as he returns my smile before discreetly tugging his hand from underneath the weight of mine.

"No, no!" I quickly reply as I lift my hand off of his as another blush settled along my cheeks while my gaze averted to the desk, walls, basically any thing that wasn't Adrian. "Thank you, and, um, sorry 'bout that. I didn't mean to make you awkward or anything, I just wanted to show my gratitude and moved on instinct and, and-" 

Adrian chuckles before interrupting my stammered explanation, "I apologize for interrupting, but you have no need to explain yourself, Mr. Styles. I apologize for causing you distress, but until I have proven myself worthy to you, I have no right to touch you." 

Tilting my head to the side, I intensely stare at the man beside me before finally speaking, "You keep saying that, but what exactly do you mean? I mean, I know we just met, but I view you as my friend and worthy, so..." Letting my sentence trail off and hang in the calm air between us, I examine Adrian's face, and I note the happiness and joy sprawled over it. 

"I'm delighted that I am held in such high regards by yourself already, Mr. Styles," Adrian responds as he sends me a wide and boyish grin that flutters my heart and has my lips curling into a smile. "but I must and desire to follow the rules accordingly; so, I hope you will bear with me and continue to tolerate my presence." 

I send the auburn eyed man a scolding glare as I fight down another blush threatening to consume my cheeks.

"Tolerate you? I would never tolerate you! I look forward to your presence and compassion each minute I spend with you-after all, you're my friend," I chide the curly haired male as I leaned forward and propped my left elbow on top of the desk so I could rest my head in a more comfortable position while maintaining Adrian's face in my line of sight.

Burning embers connect with spring leaves as Adrian returns my stare; but, his gaze was far more intense than mine, and it instantly brought blood to my cheeks as he desperately searched my eyes as if seeking something. However, before I can ponder on the sudden desperation and intensity, Adrian breaks the silence.

"Thank you, Mr. Styles," Adrian's voice is husky and deeper than before as he shows his gratitude while maintaining our eye connection. "You have no idea how much joy your words bring me." 

"Not a problem; thank you for catching me when I fell," I quickly respond as my cheeks darkened underneath the effects of his voice.

Hearing a chuckle escape the tenor's lips, I don't fight the grin widening across my lips as I instantly relax into the chair upon hearing the, unfortunately, short-loved sound. 

"My pleasure," Adrian replies as we share a smile before I begin asking him about himself.

"So, Mr. Jett," I began, teasing his surname before continuing after his grin widens. "How old are you, and why ever did you enroll at Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School?"

"I'm eighteen, and I temporarily enrolled at this school for two reasons: One, I want to find my cousin, who attends this school as a Junior, and persuade them to come live with my family; and, two, I want to prove to my parents I am ready to take over..."

Adrian abruptly stops as he looks around before continuing, not giving me a chance to voice my confusion.

"I want to prove to my parents I'm ready to take over the family company," He finished as he returned his gaze to me. "If you do not mind me inquiring, may I ask you a few questions as well, Mr. Styles?"

"Of course," I immediately reply as I tilted my head to the side in a "go ahead" fashion.

"How old are you, and why are you attending this school?" Adrian inquires, as his auburn eyes glimmer with interest.

"I just recently turned eighteen, and I attend this school, and have been attending this school now for four years, because its close to home," I answer as I lift my head from my palm in order to stretch out my arms.

"Thank you for answering those questions," Adrian murmurs as he gives me a grateful smile; I easily return the smile, letting a comfortable silence settle around us as I enjoyed the peaceful moment.

Sooner than what I would like, Mrs. Hart asked us to turn in our lab sheets as the bell rang, signaling the next class-and the end to the peaceful moment I had been enjoying greatly.

"Mr. Styles," Adrian's voice stops me mid-sigh as I turn my attention on to the now standing male. "would you like any assistance towards your next class? I mean no offense, but I merely wish to ensure your safety should you have to face against an opponent as heinous as stairs."

Letting the bubbly giggle escape my mouth, I appreciate my savior's humor before responding as blood began pooling in my cheeks, "Thank you, Adrian, but what doesn't kill me makes me stronger, right?"

"You're stronger than you know, Mr. Styles," Adrian chuckles before sending me that sweet little smile that instantly melts my heart. "I bid you a productive day."

"Bye," Waving my hand at his retreating back, I plop my cheek in my palm as I let out an airy sigh.

"Adrian is just so perfect with his auburn eyes, and ochre skin, and bistre curly hair, and sweet smile, and sexy chuckle, and loving personality," I began internally listing the great qualities my savior possessed as I released another pleased sigh before closing my eyes and enjoying his image play out in the dark.

"Adrian is just so perfect," Louis' attempt at a high-pitched feminine voice suddenly destroys the image behind my eyelids, causing me to re-open my eyes and gaze at my blue eyed companion, who mirrored my posture and face, which was struck with adoration. "with his auburn eyes, and ochre skin, and bistre curly hair, and sweet smile, and sexy chuckle, and loving personality."

"That's what you were thinking, right?" Louis gives me a knowing smirk as he stood up and placed his hands on his hips. "Well, Mr. Styles?"

Groaning, I bang my head against the desk and beseech what ever entity that created Adrian to un-create Louis. I finally lift my head, turn to my best mate, and open my mouth, ready to tell him what I really thought; but, no sound comes out. I close my mouth, and then I open it again, but the outcome remains the same: silence.

"Harry, you just spoke a moment ago!" Lou drops the teasing act as his face morphs into astonishment and confusion. "I would know because I heard you! How is it possible to speak to one person but not the other?"

Dropping my gaze, I give a half-hearted shrug as I began sluggishly gathering my things before standing up while keeping my eyes on the tiled floor.

"I really hate this," I bitterly thought as I scruffed the toe of my shoe against the floor, and I enjoy the screeching sound that accurately reflects the anger simmering underneath. "I can't speak to the one person whose stood by me through all of this, whose sacrificed and sacrificed for me over and over."

Before I can fall too deep into my self-loathing, the sudden warmth against my arm is enough to bring me out of my thoughts as I instinctively whip around, back away, and growl.

"Harry," When I realize that it's Lou and not a threat, I force the growls to stop and take note of his soft smile and gentle eyes; I wait for the reassuring words that will no doubt slip out of Lou's mouth, but they never come. Instead, something entirely different comes out of Lou's mouth.

"If you were to rate your Prince Charming on his attractiveness, then, on a scale from one to ten, what would you rate Adrian?" Green eyes stare in disbelief at Lou, who tossed away his gentleness and replaces it with gleaming eyes and a teasing grin, and continue to do so before I turn on my heels and walk into the hallway; my drama geek catches up easily and, after shooting him a thankful smile and playful glare, I raise my board which had my response on it: "More than you, that's for sure!"

The gasp Lou made was worth the scolding that followed.

~

By the time we arrive at our Business class, my cheeks are indelibly stained with red.

"It's all Lou's fault, though!" I silently argued with myself as we walk into the classroom. "He's the one who made fun of me and said the way I reacted towards Adrian was "so sweet and love-dovey" that he "nearly took the microscope and stabbed it into" his "beautiful eyes.""

Giving my companion a glare, which he returned with a knowing smirk as if he had read my mind and pleased with how he tormented me, I turn my head only to freeze when his scent nips my nose before entering without my permission; chocolates and nature pollute my mind as they hang a mist over my eyes, blocking my sight and controlling my body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Words will never be able to describe my joy; thank you so much for reading, bookmarking, leaving kudos, and commenting! ♥


	8. Chapter Five: Part Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Niall hates Harry; Harry hates Niall. Pity Fate and Destiny love to complicate things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAJ is fictitious and does not imply any truth to rumors or speculations.
> 
> Also, unlike with chapters one through four, chapter five is unedited; so, please forgive me for any mistakes you may discover. However, know that pointing out the places that contained those mistakes will be both greatly appreciated and warmly welcomed! ^-^

I vaguely notice my feet languidly moving across the floor before another scent, this one milder, pierces the mist; and, when I realize the scent consists of mildew and roses, I acknowledge the owner.

"Lou," The owner's name pops inside my mind, but it's lost when the aroma of home rushes to the forefront of my mind and consumes my full attention. The mist remains hanging over my eyes before disappearing when I feel my body collide with another's; green eyes blink as they take in their surroundings, finally noticing the body I had collided with was none other than Lou's.

I send him a reassuring smile, but, even then, his face was etched with worry; but, I pretend not to see as I move towards my desk and settle down, taking my board and writing on it after I was settled in.

"Thanks, Lou," I show the board to Lou, who sat down in his desk next to mine.

"Not a problem at all, Haz," Lou murmurs as he leans across his desk to examine my face. "but, what's with you today? First, you speak, and then you can't; and then, you go all wonky on me when ever we're near, well, you know."

Blue eyes discreetly motion towards Horan, who, thankfully, sat in the front row with his attention trained on the open book.

"Honestly, Lou, I don't know," I show Lou my response as I hold up my board before giving him an apologetic smile; focusing my attention on rearranging my things, I ignore Lou's disappointed face, which I noticed out of the corner of my eye, as I open my textbook and begin doodling on my notebook paper.

"I would love answers just as much as you do, Lou," I mentally conversed with Lou as I kept my eyes on the lined paper. "but, let's face it: I'm a damned O that thing; and, I'm certain you know that what I am is the rarest of rarest, the one in a million breed. Every thing, every thing I do will remain a mystery-to you, and to me."

It was when I finally stopped complaining did I hear a growl reverberating through my mind; quickly snapping my eyes towards my body, I release a relieved sigh when I realize I wasn't the one growling.

"Then, whose growling?" I silently question as I gaze around the room before I hear that thing.

"I'm growling. What's it to you, idiotic boy?"

"I'm not an idiot!" I abandon all plans of ignoring the thing when my intelligence is called into question.

"Oh, yes you are," The thing seethes as it emphasizes every word. "Not once, not once, did you listen to me when I said get away from that Jett man; not once did you listen to me when I said don't let him touch you and don't talk to him. But did you listen? Of course not! Instead, you let another man, another Alpha, touch you and converse with you so easily!"

Scoffing, my glare grows heated as I stare down at my clenched hands and begin ignoring the thing.

"Adrian's a nice, respectable human," I seethed internally as my fist tightened until both my knuckles were ghostly white and the pencil I had been holding snapped into perfect halves.

"Idiot," Was the last word the thing snarled before quieting down, leaving me to brood over its mood and words until the teacher came in and handed me a perfect distraction.

The class was smooth and the lesson comprehensible, but when his scent infiltrated my nose, I was forced to breathe through my mouth; but, the change not only was futile but made the situation worst as I began tasting the smooth texture of chocolates and the diverse flavors of nature roll over my tongue like physical candy. Clenching my jaw shut, I firmly sealed my lips and took shallow breaths in hopes of reducing the potent scent from poisoning my mind; the action helped, but it made concentrating more difficult: half of me was focused on the lesson, and the other half of me was focused on breathing without the deep breaths.

"Don't focus on it," I firmly told myself as I stared at the chalkboard. "Don't focus on his smell-don't let him win. Focus on the lesson; focus on the lesson."

Whether it was willpower or stubbornness that helped me attain my desire was unclear, but when that bell rang, I knew one thought: freedom. Springing from my seat as if there were flames licking the bottom of it, I rush out into the now crowded hallway and deeply inhale-only to regret the action when Horan's scent rammed into me; and, just like at the start of class, the mist returns and blocks my vision as my body begins to impulsively towards the scent, which seemed to get stronger and stronger as my feet crossed the inches separating me and the owner.

"Stop!" I silently commanded, yet my feet continued to move.

"Stop!" I attempted to regain control, but it was futile: my feet remained animated, and his scent grew stronger. Thankfully, just as I was about to despair, I feel warm arms wrap around my waist and all but roughly drag me away from the intoxicating scent; the sudden handling gives me the opportunity to wipe away the mist, but my body remains out of my control.

"No!" I feel my lips part and let out a screech as I begin clawing at Lou, who was dragging my body away from our Business class. "Give me my Alpha-give him to me!"

Fortunately, Lou-clowny, flamboyant, loveable Lou-braces the pain as he shoves my body into a stall after hauling me into the bathroom; but, still, my body searches for a way out, even going as far as to scratch Lou across te face

The sudden appearance of red angry marks on Lou's cheek, which extends from his sideburns to the middle of his cheek, halts me in my tracks, and my sudden lack of movement is all Lou needs to roughly grip my shoulders-an action which caused an involuntary pained whimper to escape my lips-and speak: "I know you want your Alpha, and that's okay; but my best mate doesn't, and, as long as I'm looking this fabulous, I'll always to Harry's desires. Not your's. Not your's."

I hear a whine echo throughout my mind before I suddenly regain control of my body; judging from Lou's relieved expression, I know my eyes are green instead of blue.

"L o u," I call out his name with guilt coloring my tone as I finally notice the dark liquid seeping out of the three marks tainting Lou's unblemished skin.

"Harry!" Lou boisterously calls in a relieved tone as he lets out a forced chuckle. "Had me scared for a moment there, you know? Thought I would have to spend the rest of my life talking to someone who was all, "Alpha this," and Alpha that," you know?"

Tears immediately spring to my eyes, momentarily blurring the image I saw before I roughly wiped them away and gave my friend a wavering smile, one that solidified when Lou handed me my board and marker.

"Thank you," I write two words on the board and show Lou, hoping both they and my face would express my gratitude.

"What's a mate for if not to help you when you're in need?" Lou throws back as he returns my smile with a sincere one of his own.

"We should get you to the Nurse's Office," I write before showing Lou, who instantly shook his head and, after rummaging around in his bag, pulled out a white, 3-D rectangular medical kit.

"Why do you have a medical kit with you?" The question on the board I show Lou reflects my bewildered examination.

"After yesterday's incident, Anne said it would be wise to carry around a medical kit in case you lost control," Louis explains as he pops open the kit and takes out suture tools before handing them to me. "Here. Anne said you learnt how to stitch wounds close from a distance aunt, who was a doctor."

Staring at Lou in disbelief, I slowly take the tools and gaze down at them.

"Heal? Me? That's ironic because the only thing I seem capable of doing is hurt," The sorrow and self-loathing coating my mental tone reflects the feelings boiling beneath my skin, but before I can delve further into my self-hatred, Lou's voice yanks my attention towards him when he steps closer and places both of his hands on my shoulders; both of us ignore the tension suddenly filling my shoulders as we stare into each other's eyes for a moment.

"Harry, listen to me," Lou softly begins as he maintains our eye connection and physical contact. "I don't care how many times you claw me, or go all wolfy on me, or punch me, or kick me, or scream at me-I will always forgive you, accept you, and love you." 

I don't bother wiping away the tears sliding down my cheeks after Lou ends his speech, and, throwing caution to the wind, I wrap my arms around his shoulders before pulling him into a tight embrace; we remained that way for some time, neither willing to let go but knowing we would have to, especially when the scent of iron began polluting the room.

"Come on," We pull from the embrace at the same time as I grab my board and, after writing, show Lou. "let Doctor Styles stitch you up and take care of you."

"Oh, Doctor Styles," Lou swoons in a breathy voice as he playfully bats his eyelashes while pretending to wring his hands together. "Not bad, but I think you prefer, hm, what was it again? Oh, that's right, Mr. Styles."

Releasing a vexed groan, I give Lou a fond yet exasperate look before grabbing my board and writing my response: "Never going to let me live it down, are you?"

"Nope," Lou giggles before propping himself up against the wall and, at my hand gesture, leaning down so I could disinfect the wound and stitch it close.

Still, as I proceeded with the process, I couldn't help the guilt wash over me as I gazed at the second reminder of what I was capable of if I didn't learn control-and fast.

"Harry," I pause and turn my attention to blue eyes, which were examining my face with suspicion. "don't you dare be getting all guilty on me because, like I said, I'm fine."

Sighing, I force a smile to appease my friend before continuing.

"Besides," Lou continues his previous sentence as he shoots me a small grin. "I look pretty rugged now, don't I?"

Snorting, I shake my head but allow an authentic, genuine smile tug at the corners of my lips. Once I stitched the three claw marks closed, I packed the medical supplies in the kit before grabbing my board.

"Still, I'm sorry for doing that to you again, Lou," I write on the board before showing it to my companion, who gave me a scolding look as he straightened his back and looked down at me.

"I said it before, didn't I? I look pretty rugged with these marks," Louis' voice is upbraiding as he begins making his way out of the stall and into the rest of the bathroom, making a beeline towards the mirror. "Mirror, mirror on the wall, tell me: who is the fairest of all them folks?"

He clearly wasn't expecting a reply as he examined himself in the mirror in a way one does when they love themselves a little too much; however, I couldn't let the opportunity to show my gratitude slip, so I tapped his shoulder and showed him my board.

"Why, Lou's the number one of all blokes," I had written, and I grinned when the words had an immediate effect: Louis haughtily sniffs as he sticks up his nose in the air and, like a peacock, flaunts his colors.

"Why, yes: Yes I am," Louis hums as he struts out of the bathroom as if he were walking on the red carpet; and, like a good reporter, I quickly follow his movements down the hall and to the Lunch room.

~

Once we bought our lunch meals, we immediately settled across from one another at a booth we lovingly dubbed "Larry's Booth."

Lou, never one to stay still for long, launches into a never-ending complaint about any and all thing that manage to irritate him and make him contemplate "ripping out" his "gorgeously created hair." 

Like the good best mate I was, I smiled at the appropriate times, gasped and shrieked when required, and laughed when needed; so, every thing was going as it usually did-until Lou abruptly stopped speaking as he gazed over my shoulder before smirking.

"A smirking Lou is never good for one's health," I silently acknowledged the danger that came with a sadistic Lou as I began preparing myself for what ever act Lou had in store.

"Oh, Prince Charming," All the blood rushes out of my face when that term comes flying out of Lou's mouth, covered in the same sickening sweetness as the rest of his words. "be a good knight and come over here and join your Princess and Company!" 

"If I weren't terrified of what Lou would do without me to supervise him, I would happily have a ground swallow me hole," I internally sobbed as my cheeks flushed with a blood blush when my nose was teased with the all too familiar scent of sea water.

"Prince Charming?" The confusion in Adrian's voice has me sending him a pitying look as I lean back into the booth and let Lou destroy every shard of dignity I had.

"I call you Prince Charming because to Harry, you are absolutely perfect and-" Slamming my hand over Lou's mouth, I send him a blazing glare that even has him shivering and quieting. 

" What were you saying, Lou?" A blatantly fake smile forces its way over my lips as I stare into my best mate's eyes with death promised in my green swamps.

"N Nothing at all, H Hazzy," Lou lets out a nervous laugh as he averts his eyes from my dark, dangerous eyes to his food, which he proceeded to quickly shovel into his mouth.

I settle back into the booth with a smirk colored on my lips-one that instantly died the moment Adrian chuckled.

"I completely forgot about him!" Panic flooded my veins as I whipped my head towards Adrian and began stammering out an explanation.

"H He was just j joking, y you know? K Kids like doing that; not that I'm not a kid because I am. It's just I'm more mature and, not trying to degrade Lou in any way, I'm just saying..."

My voice trails off as my face is devoured by heat; dropping my gaze, I begin fidgeting and squirming underneath the warm gaze Adrian was aiming at me.

"You need not distress, Mr. Styles," Adrian's calm response involuntarily brings my gaze to his gleaming eyes. "as I found your banter to be quite amusing."

"'Ou sh'ld se 's wh'n cl'ths a'r o'f," Lou intervenes as he speaks with his mouth full, giving us a disgustingly nice view of chewed food.

"Clothes off?" Auburn eyes darted between Lou and I as he stepped back. "Are you two intimate?"

"No!" I screeched as I frantically begin shaking my head; my cheeks glow red and blow even brighter when I catch a look of relief simmering beneath his eyes. "No. Lou and I are just childhood friends."

"Aw, Hazzy baby, I thought there was something special between us," Lou dramatically pouted as he slid out of his seat and stood. "Well, fine. I didn't love or need you any way. All I need is my fabulous self!"

I briefly watch him strut off before chuckling at his antics; giving Adrian an apologetic smile, I motion towards our booth.

"Please sit," Smiling at the taller male's hesitance and tense facial expressions, I quickly reassure him. "Don't worry, Lou's all drama and no bite. He only "stomped off" to get a napkin because a carrot fell on his jeans; and, when it comes to clothes, Lou know no bounds and will cross heaven and hell just to clean them-all in style, of course."

"I see," Adrian nods his head in understanding as his features relax. "Then, may I ask you to tolerate my presence again, Mr. Styles?"

Giving the handsome man a chiding look, I lean over the table and briefly flick his forehead, smirking when he flinched back and rubbed the reddening area.

"I said it before, Adrian: I enjoy your prescence," I assure the man as I give him a sweet smile that seemed to come naturally when ever he was near. "If any thing, I have to ask you to tolerate mine and Lou's prescence."

"Not at all; in fact, your banter reminded me of similar ones I had with my younger sister," Adrian grins after waving off my concern. "When I'm surrounded by you two, I feel like I'm back home: it's lively, loud, and home."

"Your family isn't here with you?" I inquire as I languidly began eating while keeping my attention on my auburn eyed companion.

"No," Adrian shook his head as he began eating as well. "Since my duty is to prove I am worthy of ascending as the next heir to my family's company, I must brace this journey by myself."

"That's amazing," I breathe as I gaze at the man in astonishment. "but, it must be lonely as well."

"It is," Auburn eyes drifted out the window as a sad smile ghosted along his lips before he turned to me with a small smile. "but I am surrounded by many new people and am able to experience new opportunities, so I take the loneliness I feel and save it for when I return."

"He's amazing," I thought as another pleased sigh escaped my lips.

"He's amazing," I let out a shriek when Lou's voice is suddenly right near my ear.

Clamping a hand over my ear, I glare at Lou as I rubbed the sensitive spot; he, of course, smirked, wiggled his eyebrows, and turned to Adrian.

"Alrighty, Prince Charming: move," Lou commands as he snaps his fingers before climbing into the booth once Adrian, who raised an eyebrow and grinned, slid out.

"Behave," The upbraid I send Lou is responded with a childish action: he sticks out his tongue at me. I return the gesture with a glare and human growl.

"Now, now, Hazza," Lou scolds as he sets a napkin in his lap before intertwining his fingers, setting his chin on top of the makeshift bridge, and making eye contact with me. "there's no need to be so hostile or suspicious. I'll be good."

"Those gleaming eyes, playful smirk, and that innocent face tells me otherwise," I reply before lifting my spork and pointing it at Lou. "I have a spork, and I'm not afraid to use it, Tomlinson."

"Oo, I am so scared, Styles," His voice mirrored mine: both were disguised as somberness but were in actuality playful remarks; and, like usual, we aren't able to play our parts for long before we erupt in laughers.

Surprisingly, Adrian joins in as well, but neither Lou or I minded; of course, that changed when Lou turned to Adrian and asked with an innocent smirk curling at the corner of his lips, "So, how large your feet? 'Cause you know what they say about men with big feet."

With no remorse, I bang my head on top of table in order to not only hide my flushed face but to also stop myself from eradicating my best mate.

"Oh, ground, swallow me whole please," I beseeched, but it was futile: I was still forced to watch the rest of lunch play out, as Lou did everything humanly possible to embarrass me in front of a man I was beginning to like quite a bit.

~

Once lunch is over, the three of us depart to our respective classes: I go down the hallway that has my Culinary Arts class; Louis goes down the hallway with his Foreign Language class; and, Adrian goes down the same hallway with Louis, but his class is Musical Study. 

After crossing the threshold, I immediately settle in my seat situated behind the white granite table that held a single sink in the middle; it doesn't take long before the rest of the students to settle in and for our teacher to begin dishing out the planned project, which followed the theme of, "Classical Desert," and our assigned partners.

"Styles and Malik, you two are partners," I hear my surname called along with another's and perk up as I scroll through my list of acquaintances and friends.

"I don't ever recall meeting any one with the last name, "Malik,"" I silently realized as I ignored the teacher's continuous words and pondered on who "Malik" was and what kind of person they would be; I didn't have to wait long before the soft aroma of sugar cookies are teasing my nostrils, waiting patiently for my permission to breathe-which I grant instantly.

Languidly, warmth flows through my body and instantly soothes and relaxes me like a lullaby; the scent's calming, relaxing, and makes me feel safe, secure, like being in Adrian's arms-except, the thing isn't growling as it said it had been when Adrian touched me.

Quite the contrary: the thing was actually purring and humming things like, "Pack," and "Cub." However, before the sugar cookies can entice me any further, I hear a light musical voice from beside me.

"'Ello," I snap out of my trance and turn to meet inviting brown orbs. "My name is Zayn Malik, and it's a pleasure to meet you, mate."

The brown-eyed male had gleaming, dark, fluffy hair that was quaffed up at the front; he had smooth, unblemished vanilla skin tinted with the sun's love; he had high-cheek bones that popped out as his pink, cupid bow shaped lips curled into a sweet smile; and, he had a lean structure that towered over me even though I was just sitting.

"H Hello Zayn," I reply after examining my partner, mentally filing away the fact that I could speak for later analysis as I returned the smile while tilting my head upwards. "I I'm Harry; Harry Styles, but you know that already, so..."

My cheeks heat up as I let sentence hang in the air, grateful when my partner chuckled.

"Well, it is the first time we met," Zayn reassures after he finished chuckling before motioning towards our cook books. "So, what classical dessert would you like to make?"

"Sugar cookies," I immediately respond before freezing after I realized what I had said; blood rushes to my cheeks as I avert my gaze before trying to explain why I answered with that dessert while leaving out it was the aroma surrounding Zayn. "I I mean, um, I mean it's classical and easy and, and-"

I stop stammering out a logical explanation when Zayn's laughter rings out; the sound was gentle and soothing, much like his scent, and the moment it slipped out of his mouth, all my embarrassment melted away.

"Sugar cookies is a magnificent choice," Zayn finally says after his laughter, unfortunately, died out as he began flipping through his cook book for the recipe. "You don't have to explain yourself, Harry, nor do you need to be embarrassed. I was thinking about baking some cookies as well; but, I was torn between sugar cookies, mint cookies, and chocolate chip cookies."

"I I've never had mint cookies before," I murmur as I follow his suit and began searching for the recipe. "Although I love chocolate chip cookies and sugar cookies."

"You're missing out, Harry," Zayn shoots me a grin as he stops on the page of the recipe. "Next time, let's bake them together, if you'd like that is."

"Th That sounds like plan," Confirming his hope, which was colored all over his face, I give my partner and new mate a shy smile before standing up. "Sh Shall we collect the ingredients?"

"Yes," Zayn quickly stands and begins helping me take the required ingredients over to our desk, as we began following the instructions.

~

Ding-Ding-Ding!

When the bell rings, signaling the end of my sixth class, Zayn and I immediately began cleaning up as we place our cookies into two bags: one for him, and one for me. 

"M May be we could some more?" I offer Zayn as I grab my things and look towards the taller male, who had surprise written all over his face. "Th That is, if you want to; you don't have to, as I was just, you know..."

My voice trails off as I avert my gaze, feeling the familiar warmth spread through my cheeks; but, before I can despair or fall into my moritifcation, Zayn interrupts my thoughts.

"I would love to," Green eyes meet brown as a mirrored grin spreads over both of our lips.

"O Okay," Giving my new mate a dimpled smile, I wave him goodbye, which he quickly returns, before heading towards the library, where I commonly went for Study Hall with Lou to work on our assignments.

"H Hey," I greet my blue eyed drama geek as I settle into the cushioned seat besides Lou.

"You spoke!" Louis whipped his head to his left as he gazes at me with wide eyes and parted lips.

I blink like an owl before realizing Lou's words and my voice, which had just spoken.

"I I spoke!" Lou and I share a grin as I lean back into the chair and smile up at the ceiling. "I It's so nice to speak again."

"You have no idea how much I missed your voice," Green eyes move from the white ceiling to my childhood friend, who had mirrored my posture. "Who else but you was going to get me through my lonely nights?"

"D Don't say it that way, Lou," I chided as I shot him a playful glare.

"Say what in what way?" The innocence emitting from Lou's smile and blue eyes were enough to prove to me he had intentionally said those words in that particular way.

"Y You make it sound like I'm an escort and you're an old man whose lonely and needs a voice to "talk" to," I lowered my voice as I explained what Lou already knew.

"What a dirty mind you have, Harry," Louis' smirk only made me roll my eyes as I released a defeated sigh before pulling out my homework.

"N No, Lou, that's your specialty," Was my only response as I began working on my assignments, noting, out of the corner of my eye, Lou follow my example.

"True," Lou hums in agreement before changing topics as he began completing one of his assignments. "By the way, you still have that stutter, but it's not that bad; and, also, when did you regain the ability to speak?"

"I I think it was in Culinary Arts because I was able to talk to Zayn, my partner for a project and new mate," I explained, as I kept my attention focused on the sheet in front of me.

"Ah," Louis lets out a noise of acknowledgement before letting a comfortable blanket of silence fall over our table. Once I completed the worksheet, I moved onto my informative essay; and, after looking over my plan, I get up and begin scrolling through the rows blocked by wooden shelves on both sides. My attention was so trained on finding a particular book that I barely noticed the body in front of me before I collided into it.

"Oof," A gush of wind escapes my lips as I stumble back, almost tripping over my feet and air if it hadn't been for the sudden presence of arms around my waist.

"It seems grace does not appear to be on your side, Mr. Styles," The amused voice instantly lets me know the owner of the arms wrapped around my waist.

"Adrian," My savior, once again, grins in response when I call his name, as he helps right me before removing his arms. 

"Thank you," I blush as I quickly thank him while squashing down both the growl the thing emitted and the need to place myself back into those magnificently strong, warm arms. "I guess you're right: grace really doesn't like me today."

My pink lips curl into smile when the tenor lets out a soft laugh before a book on the highest shelf catches my attention.

"That might be helpful while doing my informative essay," I silently argued with myself as I turned my head and stared up at the book. "but, it's so high up-and I'm so short!"

Feeling my eyebrows twitch in irritation, I turn and force a smile when Adrian's voice intervenes.

"Would you like me to get that book for you, Mr. Styles?" Auburn eyes smile kindly down at me as the taller male offers to grab the out-of-my-reach book.

"Would you mind?" I send the taller male a grateful smile as I step back and allow him to grab the book, momentarily admiring the way the shirt stretched across the broad shoulders and toned back.

"Thank you god for making me short," I've never been thankful for being short-until now, that is.

Averting my eyes, I pretend I wasn't admiring Adrian's physique as I smile up at the male, who had turned around with the book I needed in his hands.

"Here you go," Adrian hands me the book, and I take it with a wide smile and warm cheeks.

"Thank you," I murmur as I hold the book to my chest with one arm while using the other to motion towards Lou and I's table. "Would you like to join us?"

"Are you sure?" Adrian's gaze flicks from me to the table, as he gives me an uncertain smile. "I do not wish to intrude."

"No, no!" I reassure him as I begin heading towards the table. "Please, join us."

"Thank you," His soft thanks reaches my ears and brings a giddy grin to my face before I settle next to Louis, who immediately turned his attention to me with a tilted head and perplexed look.

"Please pardon the inconvenience, Mr. Tomlinson," Louis perplexed look turns to Adrian, who began asking for his permission to join us. "but would you mind if I joined you in your endeavor to complete the required assignments?"

"No, go ahead," Lou waves his hand towards the seats across from us as he shoots me a wicked smile. "I don't want to depress Harry's hopes of seeing you again."

"Funny," I flatly reply, and I shoot him a glare to reinforce the humor I found in his words before turning to Adrian with a tight smile. "Please forgive Mr. Tomlinson's idiocy; when he was but a small babe, he was dropped numerous times and now only has two brain cells left."

"Hey!" Smirking at Lou's outraged cry and pout, I join in on Adrian's laughter. "You both are evil."

Adrian and I share a grin as we hear his playful words before continuing our laughter.

~

When the bell rang, signaling the end of the day, it brought an end to the peace that had settled amongst our table; waving good-bye to Adrian, who bowed his head and thanked us for "tolerating" his "presence," Lou and I began packing up as we went over the remaining assignments we had left. It didn't take long for either of us to reach our lockers, pack up, and begin heading towards my house.

"By the way, I'm staying over tonight," Louis suddenly says as we walked out of the school building and into the warm, bright sunlight. 

"Okay, but make sure to tell your folks," I easily accept Lou's with a smile.

"After all, we've had numerous sleepovers," I thought as I listened to Lou talk about the assignment for his Foreign Language class. "but, this will be the first one we've had since I became, well, this."

Shoving the resentment I felt creeping over my shoulder upon hearing the direction my thought had been heading in, I force myself to listen to Lou's high-and-low voice.

"What do you think?" Lou inquires as he pauses to tie his shoe; pausing by his side, I open my mouth and respond:

"..."

Jerking back, green eyes widen as I stare down at my body, trying to figure out if I lost my voice again or if I had just forgotten to put my words in thoughts; so, I try again.

Silence.

Lou finally stands up and gives me an impatient look before speaking, "Well?"

Frantically shaking my head side-to-side, I give him a horrified look as I motion towards my throat.

"You can't speak again?" Lou shrieks as he tenses up and examines my face and throat. "b but you spoke to Adrian and I perfectly a moment ago! Hell, you spoke with Zayn and was fine!"

Both of us are silent as we delve into our thoughts.

"It just doesn't make sense," I silently acknowledge the oddity of the situation. "but, then again, nothing in my life has been making sense ever since I turned eighteen."

Releasing a deep and depressed sigh, I pull my board out of my bag and begin writing on it before tapping Lou on the shoulder.

"I don't know what's going on, but, right now, I just want to get home and complete the rest of my homework," Lou read my response before nodding his head.

"Yeah, let's ask Anne when we get home," Lou agrees before launching into another topic; but, even when we got home and asked mum, the confusion remained because she didn't understand the situation any better than we did.

"It's hopleless," I bitterly thought as I flipped over in my bed and listened to the boisterous snores and mumbles Lou released from the ground in his sleeping bag. "I don't know why I can't speak, and I don't know why I can't even touch Lou; hell, he has to sleep on the ground because, when he tried to climb into the bed, I nearly scratched him again."

Green eyes clench shut as I wipe away the memory and guilt before exhaling.

"Tomorrow," I silently promise as I flip over once more before letting my eyes naturally close. "Tomorrow, I'll worry about every thing; but, not tonight-not any more."

If auburn eyes greeted me when I finally slipped into a peaceful state, well, no one had to know other than myself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for enjoying this fanfiction and for leaving proof of that enjoyment!


	9. Chapter Six: Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam finally makes an entrance; Louis and Harry begin solving the complexity that is Harry's life; and, Niall's dead set on not having Harry while having Harry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAJ is FANfiction-not NONfiction; therefore, no parts of AAJ accurately represent real life.
> 
> Chapter six, and the proceeding parts, has also not been edited or revised; so, if you find any mistakes, please forgive me and alert me of their location. :)

When the ball of light finally peaked over the horizon, my alarm screamed its' greetings; and, with no remorse, one of my arms shoots out from underneath the covers and roughly slams my hand along its head as I tried to shut it off without having to open my eyes. Silence finally reigned supreme again as I managed to turn my alarm clock off, but it last only for a split second before Anne's clear voice came through my bedroom door.

"Harry, Louis, it's time for school!" Mum reminded us; the sound of the metals in my door knob creaking told me exactly what she was about to do as the door was gently pushed open. "Come now, wakey wakey."

"No," Louis' weak protest came from beneath my bed, the noise of shuffling alerting me to Lou's actions, which were rolling over and placing a pillow over his head.

"The sooner you get up and face the day, the sooner it will be over," Anne responded as I finally sat up, taking note of her amused eyes and smile. 

"Is that what you tell yourself when you wake up?" Louis inquired as he threw his pillow off his face and sat up with a cheeky smile.

"No; quite the opposite, actually: I tell myself the sooner I wake up, the sooner I can make both of your lives hell," Snickering at mum's response, my gaze trails over to Lou, who naturally wore a scandalized expression.

"How evil," Louis breathed as he let out an aggrandized gasp. "Just evil."

"I learn from the best," Anne shot Lou a smirk as she turned on her heels and exited the room. "Now, you can either have breakfast or go to school hungry. Your choice."

"Do you think she'd really let us go without food in our bellies?" Louis quickly whipped his head towards me with an ashen face as the question slipped out of his mouth.

Parting my pink lips, I try to use my vocal chords but they remain froze; so, I grab my white board, black marker and write my response.

"I wouldn't put it past her," I show Lou my response, not hiding my smirk, which grew wider when he abruptly sprung up from his makeshift bed and dashed down the stairs.

"Food!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, and the wheezing, silent laughter, which had erupted from my lips after Lou's reaction, spilled forth even harder when I heard the tell-tale sound of someone falling.

"Louis Tomlinson, do not shed your blood all over my beautiful, clean carpet just because you're an idiot who has a habit of stripping on the last step of stairs!" Anne harshly chided, but her tone revealed the amusement she received from Lou's antics.

"Sorry, mummy!" Wiping away the tears spilling down my cheeks after hearing Lou's response, I remove myself from my bed, grab my board and marker, and begin leisurely walking down the steps as I enjoyed the ruckus coming from the dining room.

"This is so delicious!" I heard Lou moan as the sound of chewing followed. 

"He always says that," I acknowledge, the smile from the bedroom never leaving my lips as I gratefully took the plate from mum's hands and settled myself next to Lou.

"You always say that," Anne echoes my thoughts as she settles beside me with a cup of tea in her hands.

"'Cus 's 'ue," Lou states around a mouth full of food; both mum and I grimace in disgust when we see the chewed up breakfast.

"Shut your mouth when you eat, Louis Tomlinson!" Anne upbraids with a grin before taking a sip of her tea cup and continuing. "No one wants to see what chewed up food looks like in your mouth."

Lou, after pouting, pointedly opens his mouth as he shovels another round of food inside.

"Ew!" I write on my board and show Lou and mum before eating my own breakfast with a grin; but, when I finally noticed an empty seat across from me, I remembered my step-father, someone I haven't seen for some time now.

I tap Anne's shoulder and, after writing my question, showed mum the board: "Mum, where's Robin?"

"He's been sent on a business trip, and he's been on it since February third."

I let out a noise to show I had heard her response before writing another question: "When will he be back?"

"Well, it's February tenth today, and, since the business trip is meant to take three weeks, he'll be back on February twenty-fourth."

"Okay, thanks," I write my gratitude and reinforce it with a smile before finally returning to my food, eating it in a much more decent way than Lou, who had crumbs of food either glued to the corners of his lips or who were free falling from his lips.

Besides the playful teasing, breakfast was a quiet affair that ended quickly; and, as we placed our dishes in the dish bin and prepared ourselves for school, Anne made certain to wave us off.

"Have a good day, my idiot son and his even more idiot companion," Mum's beautiful face was graced with an ugly smirk as she waved at us from inside the front door's threshold.

"Good-bye, you heinous demon," Louis responded as he let a similar smirk grace his lips.

"Why am I caught in the middle?" I wrote on the board and showed Lou and Anne, who both innocently shrugged with matching looks.

"Who knows?" Both of them respond, only making me shake my head before focusing on the clear, cloudless blue sky.

"Still can't speak, I see," Louis begins as we resume our journey to school.

Nodding my head, I give my best mate an apologetic smile as I adjust my backpack's strap to give me hands to do something, any thing to avoid Lou's intelligent and somber examination.

"Well, don't worry, Hazza," Louis finally murmurs after a long pause. "I'm sure you'll regain your voice soon so you can talk to me as well as others."

Grabbing my board and writing my response, I stop walking and stomp my foot before showing Lou my board: "Thanks, Lou."

"Any thing for you, Hazzy baby," Louis immediately grins as he calls me yet another affection nickname.

"Don't ever call me that again," I write on the board before showing Lou as I pretend to gag.

"How rude!" Lou scoffs as he upturns his head and begins walking with a strut to his hips. "Well, we'll see how you fare without me by your side, then."

Releasing a soundless chuckle, which was repetitive gushes of air, I quickly catch up with my sassy may and show him my board, which I had written my response on: "Don't you mean how you would fare without me?"

Mirth twinkled in his blue eyes as he let out a scandalized gasp before launching into lecture that didn't end even when we walked through the front doors of the school building and were subjected to another round of attention; but, this round contained fewer stares and whispers than the first round.

However, both Lou and I ignored them.

"I'm just glad we haven't experienced any trouble yet," I voice my silent relief to myself before flinching at the potential jinx I created. "I mean, I'm glad we haven't experienced any trouble at all!"

"Hey, Harry," Louis' voice yanks me out of my thoughts; green eyes move from my locker, which I had unknowingly been staring at, to my best mate, whose head was tilted to the side as interest colored his face.

"Yes?" I write on my board before showing Lou.

"What does Zayn look like?" Louis' question startles me, and the sudden question peeks my confusion, especially when I notice him examining something over my shoulder.

"Zayn as dark hair that's really fluffy and quaffed up, and he has brown eyes and vanilla skin tinted with tan," I described my new mate before showing Lou my board.

"You mean the one who's standing next to Horan and talking to him?" Turning my head and following Lou's gaze, a bucket of freezing water slams into me as betrayal grips my heart: standing right beside my nemesis was none other than Zayn, who looked irritated as he spoke to Horan, who glared, snarled something inaudible, and turned on his heels before walking away.

Brown eyes connect with mine as Zayn notices my stare and gives me a shy wave-a gesture I did not return as I turned and faced my locker, forcing down the outrage I felt simmering underneath my skin.

"How could he be so chummy with Horan!" I mental snarled at Zayn as I forcefully opened my locker and began shoving my items in it. "I mean, sure, may be he doesn't know, but still."

Green eyes darken as I slam my locker shut and began storming towards my first class.

"Better yet, what if our sudden "friendship" is nothing but a scheme devised between him and Horan?" It was an outrageous thought, but I couldn't help but see the potential in it. "After all, who does Horan hate more than me?"

"Woah, slow down there, Harry!" Pausing, I train my blazing on to Lou, who stood in front of me right underneath the threshold leading to the Algebra class. "No need to go in all growly and grumpy."

Glaring even harder at my childhood friend, I take my board and quickly write my response: "Get out of my way, Lou."

"May be Zayn and him aren't friends or any thing," Louis offers as he bluntly ignores my board while maintaining our eye contact. "May be they're partners for a project or something; I don't know, but I do know you're getting mad because Horan's involved, so don't take it out on Zayn."

I remain silent, not even breathing, before finally sighing as I release all the tension from my body; and, after rolling my shoulders back, I took my board and wrote on it.

"You're right, Lou," Showing Lou the board, I give him a thankful smile. "I shouldn't be mad Zayn just because I saw him with Horan."

"Aren't I?" Louis responds with a grin before moving aside and letting me pass; we both settle in our seats and turn to each other, ready to begin conversing, but before Lou can open his mouth, the teacher stalks in and starts yammering off about today's lesson.

"All right," The teacher sets down the chalk and grabs a piece of paper. "today I'm going to pair every one to work on a project relating to today's lessons; and, if you aren't paired with someone you wanted or if you're paired up with someone you don't want to be with, I don't want to hear any one complaining, understood? Good."

The teacher doesn't wait for our class to respond before she begins prattling of surnames and whose paired with who.

"Payne and Styles, you're together," When the middle-aged woman calls my name and another's, I instantly straighten my back as I search the room for "Payne." When my gaze connects with the same warm milk chocolate eyes I saw in Literature, I instantly recognize my partner and give him a wave of acknowledge, which he responds with a sweet smile and small wave.

"Pair up and get to work!" The Algebra teacher orders before settling into her chair behind the front desk.

Every student begins moving towards their respective partners, and, after giving each other a good luck gesture-which was a thumbs up-I stand from the plastic chair and make my way towards my partner.

"'Ello," I greet Payne with my board as I settle into the chair and push our desks together so they were connected.

"Hello," The smooth, musical voice that slips out of Payne's mouth has a similar effect on me as Zayn's did: instantly, all stress, tension, and any other negative emotions washes away, and wraps me in a blanket of security and warmth. "my name is Liam Payne."

"My name's Harry," My voice immediately slips out of my mouth as I respond to the brown eyed male, but I freeze up in shock when I realized what had happened.

"Did I just speak?" I wondered in astonishment as I leaned against my chair and blankly stared at the chalkboard. "First Adrian, then Zayn, and now Liam. Why is it I can speak to these guys so easily, yet I can't even speak to the one person I've known since I was young?"

"Harry?" The soft pressure Liam applies to my hand quickly brings me out of my thoughts as I re-focus my attention on to my partner, whose gentle eyes gleamed down at me with concern. "Are you okay, mate?"

"I'm fine," I reassure the taller male as I send him a dimpled smile before turning my attention on to the assignment. "just worried about how badly I'm going to drag you down because I suck at Algebra."

The warm, amused chuckle that rings from Liam's mouth is like a bell ringing: ear-catching, beautiful, and hypnotizing.

"Well, that makes two of us," Liam sends me an ear-splitting grin as his pale cheeks darkened with blood. "because math has never been my specialty."

"Math sucks any way," Giggling, I easily, impulsively, pat his hand before freezing as I realized what I had done.

"I easily touched him, and yet I can't even go near Lou," I file the information away when I notice worry creeping over Liam's face again; sending him a bright, cheery smile, I turn to the paper and read the first question out loud, thankful when Liam didn't inquire and merely turned his attention to the paper.

As we leisurely walked on each question, I took the rare opportunities to examine my partner: he had fluffy, brown hair that, similar to Zayn's, neatly peaked up in the front like a mountain; he had smooth, pale, unblemished skin; he had a tall, toned build and long digits for fingers; he had tiny trimmed white nails that spoke of repetitive care for hygiene; he had straight, pearly white teeth; and, he had a few small brown moles teasing his neck and face.

"Is there something on my face?" Liam's question stops my examination from continuing any further. 

"Huh?" I stare blankly at Liam before recalling his question; my cheeks flood with blood as I duck my head and avert my eyes. "No, no! There's nothing on your face; I I was just, um, you know..."

I didn't have to have a mirror to know the tips of my ears were on fire as my pathetic explanation died off.

"Oh, god, he must think I'm a freak now," I groaned inside my head, but, when I feel a soft hand settle on top of mine, I look up with hope.

"I understand, Harry," Liam gives me an understanding smile as he squeezed my hand before releasing the limb. "You don't have to be sorry; after all, I I was doing the same thing."

Blinking, I jerk back at the sudden confession and finally notice the red trail caressing Liam's cheeks and ears.

"Then, we're even, aren't we?" Smiling at the male's honesty and embarrassment, I send smile a sweet smile as, which he immediately returned as we re-focused our attention on to the project.

"I've been making friends lately," Feeling a giddy wave swell in my chest, I fight the urge to smile like a fool. "It's really nice knowing I have friends I can trust and lean on."

Pausing, an unfiltered image of Zayn and Horan speaking crosses my vision before I shove it away; but, the insecure and betrayed feeling didn't leave.

"Hey, Liam," I keep my eyes on my paper as I slowly begin voicing my concern. "you're not friends with Horan, are you?"

"Horan?" I can feel his brown eyes digging into my temple as he voices his confusion.

"Niall," I clarify as I ignore the heat provoked from his stare. "Niall Horan."

Silence sits between us as I impatiently wait for a response that does not come for a long time. Eyeing the man out of the corner of my eye, I note his impassive expression as he continued to work on the assignment; it was only the clenched jaw that alerted me to his potentially real feelings.

"And if I was?" Whipping my head to the side, I gaze at Liam in shock as he meets my gaze head-on, brown eyes and pink lips firm but understanding as well.

"If you are then..." I let my sentence trail off as I look away from those kind eyes, mustering the courage to say what I needed to say. "Then I can't be associated with you."

My final words were barely above a whisper as I firmly planted my attention on the paper we were working on.

"Do you want to be associated with me?" Liam suddenly asks, his voice forcing my gaze towards his eyes, which remained gentle and understanding.

"Y Yeah," I murmur as my blush darkens, but I don't try to break our eye contact. "b but since you're with Horan, and since I don't like Horan, then we can't."

"Can't, or won't?" Liam presses, and I gaze into his calm eyes. 

"What's the different?" I snap as I unconsciously cross my arms over my chest to hide my insecurity.

"There's a difference, Harry," Liam soothingly responds as he claps one of my hand between his. "and, the difference is all about the person: if you want to be friends with me, then you can; but, if you don't like someone another associates with, then you use the "I can't" excuse to minimize the hurt you're causing the speaker, in this case me, and to ensure you don't have any contact with the person you dislike."

I stare at him partially confused and partially amused at the practical, logical explanation-one that, after he spoke it, caused Liam great mortification, if his reddening ears and cheeks were any thing to go by.

" That was a very practical explanation," Amusement covered my tone as I finally spoke before tapping a finger on Liam's palm to soothe the older male and allow him to keep my hand trapped between his.

"Sorry," Liam apologized profusely as he averted his gaze and released my hand. "I'm so, so sorry about that; it's a habit, one that ticks a lot of people off, to make every thing logical."

"I admit, it may be irritating for other subjects, but I feel its suitable for this one," I hum as I send the older male a smile. "You're right, though, Liam: I am just using the "I can't" excuse so I don't hurt you while also not having any contact with Horan."

"Then, does that mean we're mates?" Liam extends his soft hand in my direction as he gives me an uncertain smile, that quickly turned into a sincere smile when I took his hand and shook it.

"Definitely," I reply before giving him a chesire grin. "and, besides, I need someone who sucks at Algebra just as much as I do but can manage to work on the assignments without intentionally being distracting."

"Who would do that?" Liam tilted his head to the side as he furrowed his brown eyebrows.

"My childhood friend and incurable disease: Louis Tomlinson," I dramatically state as I motion towards Lou, who, upon hearing his name, sat up at attention.

"You're You're friends with Louis?" It's the way that Liam breathes Louis' name that has my head turning towards him with interest.

"He sounded irritated," I thought as I recalled Liam's tone when he spoke Louis' name. "which, really, isn't uncommon at all; but, he also sounded excited?"

I couldn't stop the wicked smile curling at the corner of my lips as I leaned into Liam's personal space.

"Is that okay with you, Liam?" I force an innocent smile and paint the picture perfect portrait of innocence as I inquire about his thought on Lou.

"N No; no! Th That's perfect fine wi with m me," Liam stuttered out his response while his cheeks burst into flames.

"Are you sure? I mean, I know Lou sometimes has an effect on people," I barely manage to refrain from smirking when I slip in the effect part, and I greatly enjoyed seeing Liam's open face fly into a vast array of emotions: from embarrassment to meekness, they all showed up in one form or another on Liam's red face.

"We We sh should get b back to, to work," Liam squeaks as he abruptly begins working on his paper, and, had it not been for his voice and the mechanical pencil trembling, I would have assumed he was earnestly working on the paper for practical reasons rather than to avoid my disguised interrogation.

"If this is how Lou felt when he teased me about Adrian, then I can't find it in me to be too angry," Mentally, I acknowledge the emotions coursing through my veins as I returned to our assignment. "because, wow, its intoxicating: I feel powerful, amused, and knowledgeable all at the same time-and I'm not doing any thing but teasing Liam about his possible crush on my best mate."

"Still, I know better than any one else how he must be feeling, so I'll drop it," I nod my head at my thoughts before turning to Liam with a genuinely kind smile on my lips as I asked him about the question we were on.

~

"You seem happy," Louis states as he appears by my side, taking my attention from my desk to him.

"I I've just obtained another good mate," I respond as I lean in my chairs and grin at my blue eyed companion.

"Oh? Is that so?" Louis inquires as his blue eyes gleam with interest. "May I ask which blokes stolen your heart from me again?"

"H His name is Liam Payne," I reply before leaning into Lou's personal space as I let the wicked smile I had hidden early come out in the open. "a and, I should say it's your heart that's been stolen this time."

"My heart hasn't been stolen, though," Louis protests as he tilts his head to side and furrows his brows in confusion.

"N Not yet, but I'm certain it will soon," With the smirk still covering my lips, I stand as soon as the bell rings and leave pondering my vague words; however, he doesn't stay still, and, soon enough, he reappears at my side.

"I have no idea what you mean, Haz," Louis states as he shakes his head in confusion, which only further serves to amuse me, before dropping the subject and changing to another topic-one that also made him smirk and one that always made me blush. "By the way, if my eyes don't deceive me, I think I see your Prince Charming."

Glaring daggers in to blue eyes, which gleamed with sadistic amusement, I look out of the corner eye for those hypnotizing auburn eyes; but, my search turned out to be futile, and I turned to my best mate, ready to give him a piece of my thoughts, but I freeze when that sweet, tenor voice reaches my ear.

"Good morning, Mr. Tomlinson, Mr. Styles," Faster than a wolf, I whip my head towards my left and am greeted by auburn eyes and a bowed head.

"Good morning, Prince Charming," Louis coos, his smirk widening even as I roughly jabbed him in the elbows. "and, good-bye; enjoy your moment, love birds!"

Pink lips part as I open my mouth to stop Lou, but he turns and, with a sway to his hips, struts off in Lou-like fashion.

"I am so, so sorry," The apologies quickly fall from my lips as I turn to face my companion. "about him, Adrian. He just loves teasing me."

"Please, apologies are not needed, Mr. Styles; I've said it numerous times before and mean every word: I enjoy the opportunity I have been presented with to join in on your fun," Adrian reassures me, his gentle eyes and kind smile immediately washing away all worries.

"Okay, thanks," I whisper quietly as I send him a sweet smile.

"Shall we walk together until we part ways?" Adrian offers as he extends his arm and motions towards the end of the hallway.

"If you don't mind," I reply, gazing into his auburn eyes.

"Not at all," His quick response spurs me into action, and, with him close but a few inches away from me, I begin walking down the hallway as I question the taller male.

"What class do you have now?"

"Business," The ochre man looks over and down at me as he answers my question. "I thought it would be a wise idea to take this course while its available."

"Do you not have business classes at your old school?" Another question falls from my lips as I examine my companion, wanting to unearth every mystery he contained.

"By the time I had enrolled, it was already full," Adrian explains as he turns his attention towards the end of the hallway, which was, unfortunately, approaching quickly. "so, I have to wait until next semester."

"That sucks," Sending the considerate male a sympathetic smile, I continue my sentence. "You said you have to wait, right? Does that mean you are leaving Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School?"

"When I've finally succeeded in my endeavor to convince my cousin, I will," Adrian confirms my fears as he shoots me a sad smile. "so, I suppose that means our time together is limited, Mr. Styles."

"We'll just make the best of it, then," Determination coursed through my veins as I firmly looked into his auburn eyes before grinning. "After all, what's the point of memories if you don't have any thing to look back on after its gone?"

"Wise words, Mr. Styles," Blushing at the praise, I send Adrian a sweet smile, which he returns with a hint of pretty white teeth, before pausing at the threshold leading to my literature class.

"Well, have fun in business," I didn't want to part from him yet, but I forced myself to smile and wave him off.

"I bid you a productive day, Mr. Styles," Adrian bows his head before straightening and resuming his journey to his business class.

Green eyes track his movement as I release a forlorn sigh before turning and settling into my seat, bluntly ignoring the smirk Lou was sending me; and, when I hear a duplicated sigh escape Lou's lips, I send him a glare that said, "Don't copy me; I know what you're doing."

The only response I receive is an innocent smile before Mr. Martinez-Jackson stalks into the room and begins growling orders and throwing insults.

~

By the time school ended, I was exhausted from not only Lou's teasing, which occurred frequently as a result of Adrian speaking with me and sitting with me and Lou at lunch, but also by the fact that, once again, I could not speak to Louis.

"It's okay, Haz," Louis comforts me as we begin walking towards his house; my brooding stare moves from the sidewalk to Lou, who sent me an empathetic smile as he maintained the distance between us.

"How so?" I grab my board, write my question on it, and show Lou.

"Well, you were able to talk to me in Algebra after you spoke with Liam," Lou leisurely begins as a cheerful smile curls over his lips, matching his optimistic and sincere tone. "so, may be if you associate yourself with Liam and Zayn, you'll regain your ability to speak; and, may be you should avoid Adrian."

"What?" Frowning, I raise my board that mirrors my confusion as I pause and give my companion my full attention.

"At first, I thought I was just imaging it," Louis pauses in his tracks as he averts his gaze before returning it to me. "but, now I know it's a pattern: every time you speak to Adrian, you lose the ability to speak."

"Adrian has nothing to do with this," I scribble on the board and show Lou before sending him a scowl.

"I don't think he's intentionally doing it, but I do believe he's a factor in your situation," Louis shrugs his shoulders in a half-hearted manner before he began walking while he continued. "but, then again, may be it's something else."

Stomping down the outrage I felt when Lou accused Adrian of being the reason I couldn't speak, I take a moment to breathe and honestly think about his words, which had some truth to them.

"When I talk to Liam and Zayn, I can also speak to Lou afterwards, albeit with a stutter," I silently acknowledge. "However, when I talk to Adrian, I can't speak to Lou afterwards."

Blankly staring at the pavement, I finally pull myself from my thoughts, catch up with Lou, who had been leisurely walking ahead of me, and, after writing my thoughts on my board, stomp my foot to get Lou's attention.

"I'm sorry for getting mad at you," I showed Lou the board, which had my apology and acknowledgment. "and, I'm sorry for being stubborn. As much as I hate to admit it, you're right, Lou; but, I still won't, don't really, see Adrian as a factor to my situation. May be it's just because he's confident that I view him Alpha-like that, after I'm done speaking with him, I lose the ability to speak to you?"

"I didn't think of it that way," Louis hums as he tilts his head to the side while playfully rubbing his chin. "I think you could be right, Haz. No offense to your Zayn and Liam, but, from what I saw in Algebra class, they-or at least Liam-seem almost shy and hesitant; and, if you compare that with Adrian, who all but radiates confidence, then perhaps you unconsciously refrain from showing your fear in front of him but, when all's said and done, you break?"

"Exactly," I write on the board and show Lou, who lets out another hum before shrugging again.

"Well, I suppose the only way to see is through repetition, right?" I can't help but mirror Lou's mischievous grin, which had sprouted after he spoke his piece.

"Please try and not put me in any dangerous situation again," I write on the board and show Lou, shuddering when his grin turned into a smirk.

"Harry and danger? What a delectable combination," Louis purrs as he sends me another wicked smirk before opening his front door.

"Evil," I smacked the board, which had my response on it, before walking in with a smirk covering my face when I heard the tell-tale sign of a pained sound.

The rest of the day was spent in teasing remarks and grumbling protests, mainly from Lou, as we worked on our assignments.

~

The next day and the next five days after that followed a similar cycle: Lou and I went to school, performed our experiment-which consisted of me talking to other people to judge whether it was just Lou I couldn't speak to or everyone, and, after finding out that answer (Lou wasn't the only one I couldn't speak to), Lou had me speak to Adrian, Liam, and Zayn to see any repetitive trends-and then went home together to work on homework and discuss the results of the experiment; and, February sixteenth started the same way the previous days had.

"Judging from our experiment's results, it seems like Adrian's the reason you can't speak to me or any one after you've talked to him," Louis stated as we entered the school building, turning his blue eyes from his paper, which had his scribbled comments about the experiment, to me.

"Why though?" I write the question and turn it to Lou, who shoved the paper back into his backpack before responding.

"I think it's as you said, Haz," Louis begins as he re-adjusts his backpack. "Adrian may come off dominant and Alpha-like to you, so, unconsciously, you try to present yourself as a strong, capable Omeg- individual; but, when Adrian leaves, your mask falls off and acts as a barrier between you and those you unconsciously perceive as a threat."

I notice Lou's slip-up, but I force down the urge to glare at him; instead, I give my best mate a reassuring smile when I noticed his apologetic look before writing on my board.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! ♥


	10. Chapter Six: Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam finally makes an entrance; Louis and Harry begin solving the complexity that is Harry's life; and, Niall's dead set on not having Harry while having Harry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAJ is entirely fictitious.

"I agree," I show Lou my board. "Thanks for every thing, Lou bear."

"Why, you're very welcome, Hazzy baby," Louis coos as he pats the board affectionally; we share a grin before turning our attention to our lockers.

"Hey, Haz?" I turn my attention from the metal in front of me to turbulent seas; but, instead of speaking, Lou averts his eyes as if not wanting me to see the conflict he was fighting inside-conflict that radiated from his eyes.

Stomping my foot, I regain Lou's attention and, after writing my response, show Lou my board: "You can ask me any thing, Lou; I promise I won't get angry."

"Why..." Louis begins but lets his sentence trail off before releasing a sigh, clenching his fists, and meeting my gaze head-on. "Why do you like Adrian? And I don't mean in the "buddy" way, but in the way you act: all blushy and girly and such."

"That's the pot calling the kettle black when it comes to girly," I write on my board before showing Lou, who let out a dramatic gasp as he playfully widened his eyes in shock. "But, to answer your question, I like Adrian because, well, he embodies every thing love should be: he's kind, sweet, considerate, gentle, loving-every thing love's suppose to be. He's not dominant, or cruel, or disrespectful- he's every thing love should be like. That's why I like him."

Lou stares at my board for a long time before finally meeting my eyes with gleaming eyes and a smirk curling at the corner of his lips.

"Oh, I see." Louis replies as he turns his head and begins putting his items in his locker, clearly enjoying the blood flowing through my cheeks to my ears.

"Here we go," I silently sigh as I brace myself for the ruthless teasing Lou would subject me to, and I don't have to wait long before Lou turns to me.

"So, you do like him," Louis' smirk and eyes matched the description of "sadistic" very well.

Very well, indeed.

Letting a silent groan escape my lips, I bang my forehead on my closed locker.

"No preparation will ever stop me from being embarrassed by Lou's antics," I internally acknowledge the pointless of my actions as I raise my head and give Lou a beseeching look. "Like that's going to do any thing."

As if reading my mind, Lou merely allows the wicked smile, which had hints of teeth, to grow across his lips.

"Nu-uh, Hazza," Louis chides as he waggles his index finger. "Now that I've gotten the juicy leak I've been seeking, you aren't going to be spared."

"What is he? A reporter investigating a new celebrity?" I silently wondered before dismissing the thought. "What am I saying? Of course he's a reporter, and I'm the damned celebrity."

Feeling shivers trace their cold fingers down my back, I surrender myself to my demise as I begin walking down the hallway with Lou at my side.

"So, Harry, what ever parts do you like about Adrian?" I let his question go unanswered as I all but throw myself into my chair and lay my head on my desk before closing my eyes, hoping my appearance would delay Lou's interrogation.

It didn't.

"You can't fool me, Harry," There's a smirk in Louis voice as he continues with his teasing. "or, should I say Mr. Styles?"

Releasing another silently groan, I seek for rescue and find it in Liam, who had his nose stuck in a book as his eyes languidly scanned the page; standing up abruptly, I quickly walk over to Liam before plopping into the empty desk besides his.

"Good morning, Harry," Liam greets as he briefly raises his eyes to give me a smile before returning to his book. "I see I've provided you with an excellent escape route."

"Save me, Liam," I breathe as I desperately look around the room for my now invisible reporter.

"I can do nothing when it comes to a determined man," Liam finally sets his book down as he pats my hand and gives me an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, but, if it bothers you so, I can try to talk to Louis?"

"I'm sure you'd like that," I couldn't help but slip that into my response as I smirk at Liam, who immediately blushed upon hearing my words.

"I I have n no idea what you m mean," Liam attempts to be firm as he replies, but he falls short. "You're on your own, now."

"No!" I whined as I hid behind Liam when I heard Lou's dark chuckle near me. "Please help me, Liam!"

"La, la, la," Liam sings as he gives his full attention to his book; but, before I can persuade him any further, I hear Lou's voice right near my ears.

"Hi, Hazza."

Paling, I slowly turn my head towards Lou, who sat right behind me with a smirk on his face.

"Didn't you know?" Louis suddenly asks as a feral, wolfish grin takes ahold of his lips. "There's no escape."

Closing my eyes, I send a silent prayer to what ever entity was watching before sluggishly moving back to my seat, where Lou proceeded to interrogate me until our Algebra teacher began the lesson.

"Well, I learnt two things," I began silently talking to myself as I blankly gazed at the chalkboard. "One, never tell Lou any thing that may be gossip material; and, two, never make Liam your enemy, or he will leave you in quicksand with no remorse."

~

Once first period ended, Lou and I headed towards our second period, and, long before we reached the threshold, Lou return to his interrogation.

"Harry, Harry, Harry," Louis repeated my name over and over until I finally gave in; and, after writing on my board, I turn and show Lou my response as we walked towards our literature class.

" What, Lou?"

"What," He pauses as he lets me walk into the classroom first before following. "is your favorite part about Adrian? Personally, I think it's his back because, damn, boy's got back."

My cheeks redden, but I can't help but lick my suddenly dry lips and frantically nod my head up and down.

"Right?" I write before showing Lou after we settled into our seats. "His back is so, so, good."

"He has big feet, too, apparently," Louis cackles as he inserts information that has my cheeks flaming; and, willing down the urge to hide my face, I glare daggers at Lou before writing on my board.

"How the hell do you know that?" I show Lou my question.

"He told me," Louis smirks as he leans back into his chair and continues answering my question. "Adrian's a sweet thing-he really is. He's also very, very, innocent-and doesn't that just make you want to eat him up?-and answered me without realizing the complications it would cause."

I was mortified by my friend's sensational tone, and I grew redder when Lou met my eyes and licked his lips.

"You are a fiend," I write on my board and show him. "May be you want him."

"Of course," Louis doesn't bother playing innocent as he agrees with me, not a single shred of shame coating his voice. "There's something about a good back and innocent boy that gets me going; besides, I know how big he is-something, as you will learn, will make you as shocked and interested as me."

"Like hell I'd be so crude," I show Lou my board, which had my response written on it; but, he just smirked and stared at me, enjoying, if the glint in his eyes were any thing to go by, the way I squirmed.

Harshly rubbing away my words, I try to cool my cheeks, but it was futile-just like my attempt at ignoring the curiosity bubbling beneath my chest.

"It doesn't matter," I firmly tell myself as I try to put the cap back on the marker, but freeze at the direction my thoughts turn to. "Still, if it got Lou, who's supposed to be straight, interested, then he must be..."

Letting out a soundless groan, I slam my head on my desk; it was Lou's snickering that alerted me of his knowledge of my thoughts.

"He's horrible," I snarl inside my head, but I can't stop my mind from thinking about his previous words.

Before I lose the courage, I finally uncap the marker and write my question.

"H How big are his feet?" I don't meet Lou's stare as I hold up my board in a way that covered my cheeks, which were on fire.

"I knew you'd come around," Louis purrs as he nears me, keeping a safe distance but ensuring we had some privacy. "He said he's a size twelve."

A desert suddenly forms in my mouth as my jaw hits the desk; and, in addition to the blush biting into the flesh covering the tips of my ears, I can't stop my eyes from widening-or darkening, either.

I can barely hold the marker straight as I write my response with a trembling hand.

"Tw Twelve?" I show Lou my board, which had my desperate search for clarification written on it.

"Twelve," Louis confirms as he leans back into his chair, crosses his arms over his chest, and smirks with gleaming eyes.

"I am not Louis," I release a shaky breath as I submerge myself in my silent denial. "I am, under no circumstances, not Louis."

Seeking an escape from the heat coursing through my cheeks, ears, and lower abdomen, I begin quickly writing on my board.

"S Since when were you attracted to guys?" The question is barely comprehensible because my hand was shaking the entire time I wrote it, but Lou seems to understand it.

"I'm attracted to what ever's fabulous enough to garner my attention," Louis' flippant response allows me the escape I needed; whipping my head to the side with genuine shock coloring my face, I begin interrogating Lou about his preferences.

"Since when?" The question on my board is neater, but my body remains heated.

"Since we entered middle school?" Louis guesses as he tilts his head back and begins pondering my question before shrugging his shoulders. "I'm not sure when, but I know it's been a while."

"Seriously?" The one word on the board reflects my astonishment.

"Seriously," Louis grins as he confirms what I heard. "I'm surprised you're shocked, Harry, because aren't you the same way?"

"Not exactly," I write on the board, but, before I can explain further, Mr. Martinez-Jackson enters the room and effectively eliminates all the heat from my body.

"Turn to page fifty-two in your textbooks now, you useless idiots!" He seethes as he grabs a piece of chalk and writes on the board. "Read that until you reach page seventy; once you're done- if you get done, that is-you will sit and remain in silence, do you understand?"

The unusually rude teacher doesn't wait for our responses before he begins tidying up his desk, mumbling things like "blasted husband," "doesn't know how to fend or care for himself," and, "idiot constantly needs a damned supervisor."

Lou and I share an amused look before turning to our textbooks-well, Lou does, but I don't, not when I feel thorns caress and prickle my temple.

Instinctively, I shiver as I brush my hand against my temple, but the thorns remain. Finally, I turn my head and search for the source causing the uneasy sensation I felt crawling over my skin; and, when I find the source, I immediately regret it when I acknowledge who the source was: Horan.

Horan, whose hands were clenched into balls that trembled and whitened his knuckles; Horan, whose bottom pierced lip and non-pierced top lip were parted and baring white, razor sharp teeth; Horan, whose normally ice eyes were molten lava.

I can't stop the flinch I make when I notice those red eyes glaring at me, but, when the thing tries to come to the surface, I squash it down and look away, making sure my attention remained focused on my textbook for the whole period-or, at least until Mr. Martinez-Jackson stalked out of the room and gave Lou the opportunity to turn to me.

"How crabby," Louis murmurs with a grin on his lips. 

"Seems Mr. Jackson-Martinez did something to tick him off," I wrote my piece on my board before showing Lou, whose grin lengthened.

"I love that nurse; I really do," Louis sighs as he sets his cheek against his palm while maintaining a content and amused grin.

Letting a soundless chuckle, I begin writing my response only to freeze as tension fills my body when my ears catch the sound of faint growling; not wanting to startle Louis, who was clearly oblivious to the sound, I continue writing while searching the room out of the corner of my eye.

"Me too," I show Lou my board and take the opportunity to search the room without Lou seeing. 

"There's no one growling," I silently admitted as my search turns up fruitless. "I guess I imagined it or something."

However, I do briefly notice Zayn leaning into Liam's space and quickly speaking to him with tight features, but the words are inaudible, so I dismiss the interaction and return my attention to Lou.

"I wonder what he did, though, that angered our dear Literature teacher?" Louis asks softly as he gazes out the window before meeting my eyes with a smirk curling at the edges of his lips. "And, if there's a possible way to duplicate it."

Returning Lou's smirk, I write my response on my board before showing Lou: "Evil."

Lou sends a wink in my direction before we both turn towards our textbooks as our Literature teacher returns with a scowl deeper than before.

"Silent!" He snarled at no one in particular before storming back out.

Lou and I share another amused grin before actually returning our attention towards our textbooks.

~

When the period finally ended, Lou and I quickly banded together and made our escape, especially when Mr. Martinez-Jackson turned his scowl onto us.

"How crabby!" Louis repeats, but his grin reveals his amusement at the whole thing. "Must be a lover's quarrel, if you know what I mean."

"You think?" I write on my board before showing Lou, who smirked at my cocked eyebrow and eye-roll.

"I wonder who normally tops and bottoms, though?" Silently chocking, I whip my attention towards my blue eyed companion, who was smirking but seemed earnestly interested in the answer.

"What is it with you today, Lou?" Quickly writing the question on my board, I send him a horrified, disgusted look as we stopped at my locker to get my textbook.

"My hand wasn't as caring as it usually is to me last night," Louis easily replied, causing me to gag and choke even more.

I give my friend a look that screams, "Too much information!"

Louis, of course, just smirks.

"You're horrible," Was the only thing I wrote as I shove my board into Lou's hands and begin walking towards Biology.

"Seriously, though," Louis quickly catches up with me as he presses on about the subject. "who do you think normally tops and bottoms?"

Releasing a silent, defeated sigh, I turn to my best mate and examine his face, noting the seriousness and determination, before motioning for my board, which he handed me.

"My guess would be Mr. Jackson-Martinez," I write before showing Lou, who cocked an eyebrow.

"What would be normally be? Top, or bottom?" Louis inquires as we reach our third class.

"Bottom," I write before showing Lou, who nodded his head.

"I can't help but agree; still, what's the fun in a conversation if there's no opposition?" Louis smiles wickedly as he leans back into his chair. "May be Mr. Martinez-Jackson bottoms; after all, haven't you heard bottoming from the top?"

When an unfiltered, x-rated image of Mr. Martinez-Jackson and Mr. Jackson-Martinez being intimate I immediately turn green, gag, and push down the vile taste teasing my throat.

"No more!" I write and smack Lou with the board before focusing on Adrian, who had just walked into the classroom with his eyes trained on his textbook.

"Good morning, Prince Charming!" Louis, after returning me my board, follows my gaze and greets the man we had rudely been discussing in our first class. "How are your shoes? Not to tight, I hope?" 

The blood that pools in my cheeks is half my mortification; quickly smacking Lou on the back of his head, I glare and hiss a simple name: "Lou."

It hasn't worked, and never will: Lou merely giggles, wiggles his eyebrows, before turning towards Adrian, who greeted both of us with furrowed brows and a sweet, uncertain smile.

"My shoes feel very well; thank you for your concern, Mr. Tomlinson," Adrian replies as he settles in his seat before turning to face us. "Good morning Mr. Styles, Mr. Tomlinson."

"'Ello," I immediately turn my attention onto the handsome man and give him a sweet smile.

"Yes, Adrian, Hello," Louis breathes his greeting in a voice that, had Adrian clearly not been innocent, would have clued any one to Lou's dirty thoughts. "How's your jeans? Not tight either, right?"

Keeping a polite smile colored over my face, I intervene before Adrian can reply, "Please forgive my companion,"

I continue as I grab a fistful of Lou's hair and, after pushing my textbook over towards him, gently slammed his forehead into it. "He's trying to do a good deed a day to balance the sins he's acted upon; unfortunately, it seems you've been selected as his target."

Adrian's gaze flickers between Lou and I before giving me an uncertain smile as he replied, "I I see; well, I wish Mr. Tomlinson a prosperous journey towards cleansing his soul."

I smile and thank him, waiting until he was turned around to face Lou, who was whining in pain as he rubbed the red spot marking his forehead, with the same smile.

"A good deed a day, right, Lou?" My smile is polite and so is my tone, but the shudders racking Lou's body as he warily gazes at me is the right and intended reaction. 

"R Right, Haz," Louis shakily replies as he sends me a wavering grin before wrapping his arms over his hair as if expecting another attack.

The reaction made me snicker, but I ignored his pouty glare and turned my attention on to Mrs. Hart.

~ 

"I have to go back to Mr. Martinez-Jackson and ask him about the assignment," Louis says as he grabs his things and looks down at me. "so, I'll have Adrian walk you to your business class."

"There's no need-" My protest is interrupted by Lou, who immediately turns to Adrian, who was also standing up and facing us when he heard his name.

"You," Louis pokes his index fingers into Adrian's chest before continuing. "walk your Princess to his Business class, understood?"

"Yes, sir," Adrian responds with amusement gracing his lips and tone.

"Good," Louis hums in pleasure as he begins walking out of the classroom and into the busy hallway. "No making out in the hallway, okay? Ciao!"

Groaning, I slam my head against the granite desk as I fight down the urge to murder my best mate.

"Damn you, Lou," I seethe internally, but all thoughts of murder and anger flee my head when I feel a callus hand lifting my chin as Adrian examined my forehead with concern.

"You should be more careful, Mr. Styles," Adrian chides as he releases my chin and straightens his back. "as you could have easily hurt yourself from that."

My vocal chords wouldn't vibrate, nor would my mouth open, and all because of that one touch that brought flames to my cheeks.

"Th Thanks," I breathe my gratitude, blushing even harder at my swooning, airy voice before I abruptly stood up while letting out a nervous laugh. "S So, l let's get g going."

Not even giving the taller male the opportunity to reply, I stride out into the hallway, which wasn't as crowded as before, and begin towards my locker.

"What class do you have next, Mr. Styles?" Adrian's voice appears right next to my side, causing me to jerk to a stop as I let out an embarrassing startled sound. "My apologies for startling you."

"Don't be sorry," I reassure those auburn eyes that gazed down at me with concern. "My next class is Business; what about you?"

"Literature," Adrian replies as his auburn eyes soften after being reassured.

"Good luck," I shoot him a grin as I come to a stop at my locker. "Mr. Martinez-Jackson isn't in the best of moods today."

"Thank you for the forewarning," Adrian steps behind me as I open my locker and gather my things; just as I'm about to close the door, a sudden blur dashes behind me and accidentally elbows my back, causing me to go face-first into the locker.

I easily push myself out and shoot an odd look at the student, who was already halfway down the hallway running at top speed, before turning back to Adrian, who wore a crease between his eyebrow.

"Are you okay, Mr. Styles?" Adrian's voice reflected his concern as he took a step forward but paused when I waved my hand.

"I'm fine; thank you for your concer-" Before I can complete my full sentence, I step forward only to slide straight into Adrian and knock us both down; but, instead of colliding into a chest, my face collided into Adrian's face.

Our foreheads clacked together.

Our noses nipped each other.

Our lips connected.

Freezing, and vaguely noticing Adrian do the same, we both gaze into each other's wide eyes as we realize what had happened-what was happening.

"I'm kissing him!" I squealed inside my head as I felt heat pool in my cheeks, but I quickly stomped out the happiness and giddiness washing over me as I scrambled up, briefly noticing the folder that lay a few feet away from our bodies. "The student who elbowed me accidentally must have dropped the folder, and that must have been why I slipped."

Shaking my head, I return my attention to Adrian, who was also standing and wearing a blush, and give the taller male an apologetic smile as I tried to will down another blush.

"Adrian, I am so, so, sor-" Before I can apologize to the man I had accidentally kissed, I'm interrupted once more-except, this time, it's not some student that interrupts me but a growl.

A vicious, feral, reverberating growl that immediately send shivers down my spine and had that thing inside me clawing to take over and apologize; but, I remain in charge and slowly turn my tense gaze towards cool, crusted lava as I finally acknowledge the situation I was in: an empty hallway, since the bell must have rung a few moments ago, my crush, myself, and Horan, who wasn't looking like Horan at all, judging by those teeth and black claws-ones that looked similar mine, I briefly noticed-which were completely exposed out in the open; but, what made my heart stutter and race was who Horan was glaring at-and it wasn't me.

Flicking my gaze towards Adrian, I pause when I notice his face, which was cool, collected, and composed-something one would not wear should they see Horan like that.

"What's going on?" I silently wonder, but, before I can ponder the matter further, Adrian's calm voice brings me back into the situation I was in.

"Forgive me for any offense-" Adrian's sincere apology is abruptly cut short when, in a blur of wind and colors, Horan appears right before him; I try to move to do something, any thing, but underneath the thick tension and my trembling legs, I was effectively paralyzed and could only watch as Horan wrapped a single hand around Adrian's neck, lifted him a couple feet off the ground-enough so Adrian's legs were dangling- and pinned him against the lockers.

"Stop!" I silently screamed, but my mouth remained frozen as I was forced to bear witness to the scene between Adrian and Horan, who, I noticed, was actually a few inches taller than Adrian.

The tension is thick and grows thicker as the hall goes silent, and the only sounds I was able to hear were my skipping heart and ragged inhales; but, the silence doesn't last long.

"Listen to me well, Alpha Jett," Horan's voice was rough, ragged, rippling with power, and dark-a voice that commanded obedience and sent shivers of fear and something else, something I did not want to think about, down my spine. "because I will only say this once: if you ever go near my Omega again, you will regret it; if you ever touch my Omega again, you will regret it; if you ever kiss my Omega again, you will regret it."

"I have more power than you realize, so do me and your parents a favor: don't go any where near my Omega, or I'm going to have to tell your parents the unfortunate news that their soon-to-be Alpha has gone missing and the next Alpha will have to be their second oldest son," My legs give out complete when a sadistic, bloodthirsty smile crawls over Horan's lips as he release a chilling laugh that sounds demonic and even makes Adrian violently shudder. "Understand?"

Faster than I've ever seen the ochre man move, he whipped his head up and down before scratching at the hands that still had yet to release him, and, when I notice tinges of purple coloring Adrian's cheeks, I finally find the strength to speak.

"Let go of him!" I'm amazing by how firm my voice is when it spills from my lips, but the amazement disappears when black eyes turn on to me; I immediately flinch at the heat drilling into my eyes, but I clench my hands and jaws and return the stare, hoping I come off confident enough to be listened to, and, to my surprise, Horan actually releases Adrian.

"Get out of my sight, Alpha Jett," Horan maintains our eye contact as he softly orders Adrian to leave, which the auburn eyed male immediate does, making a quick exit for the hallway while rubbing his bruised neck.

He doesn't meet my eyes as he passes me, and I squash down the feeling of sorrow while re-focusing my attention on what really needed my attention: Horan.

Horan, who wore an impassive face but retained black eyes.

Horan, who began stalking towards me.

Horan, who was on his knees and looking down at me.

Horan, who was touching my cheek?

Green eyes blink when I feel a callus hand gently cup my cheek and envelope in it warmth, all the while maintaining our eye contact, which burned less but intensified more.

"Is he being gentle?" The question slips into my mind as I notice the gentleness Horan was treating me with like I was a precious jewel not to be handled roughly-a stark contrast with his previous actions. "But, why?"

Tilting my head upwards, which must have fallen downwards as I delved into my thoughts, I meet not cooled molten lava, as I was expecting, but the bright red shell of a ladybug.

"I scared you," Red eyes gazing into mine darkened with anger but remained soft as long tan fingers caressed the skin of my cheek; still, the anger emitting from Horan's eyes made me flinch back as I grew even more uncomfortable with the way he was touching me.

"Why's he being so gentle?" The question circled around and around inside my head as confusion washing over me again and again. "Isn't he supposed to, well, I don't know, attack me? Choke me? Why did Adrian get the rough treatment, but I don't? Not that I want pain, but the point is: he's playing at something. Right?"

I was getting nowhere with those thoughts, but, thankfully, I didn't have to think any further when the fingers stopped caressing.

"I scared you," It was the same words that Horan said previously, but it was the bitter smile ghosting over his lips that made me realize he wasn't angry at me but himself.

It's a shocking revelation, and one I have no idea how to handle.

"What's going on?" Flinching at the throbbing pulsating through my temples, I push away the thoughts only to freeze when rough fingers gentle snatch my chin and tilt my head to the side.

Horan skims his red gaze over my temples, clearly searching for something, before releasing my chin.

"Sorry, love," All I can do is blink like a fool when Horan apologizes as he gives me a sincere, apologetic smile. "I shouldn't have touched you, especially when I've scared you, but, but I wanted, no, needed to make sure you were all right."

Green eyes examine the open face presented before my eyes; yet, all I could see was genuine concern and, if my eyes weren't mistaken, adoration.

"Why's he looking at me like that? He hates me!" The longer I spent around Horan, the more confused I became. "Why is he being so gentle with me when he doesn't want any thing to do with me?"

"I'm sorry," I briefly hear Horan apologize once more before I'm suddenly yanked into his chest; toned arms wrap around my waist and tighten, as if not wanting to let me go, before loosening. It's the rumbling I hear vibrating against my ear that does something to me; as if it were Zayn or Liam, the sound immediately soothes me and eliminates all the confusion I felt rattling around my head.

Like a lullaby, the deep, reverberating rumbles emitting from Horan's chest flows through my veins and relaxes every tense muscle and overstimulated sensor; and, I barely even notice when I begin to lean into the embrace and actually doze off to the musical sounds kissing my ears.

"Come, little mate, no sleeping," Horan's voice is amused but not cruel; and, mirroring the softness of his words, I vaguely feel something warm brush against my cheek.

"I don't want to," The whine that slips out of my mouth is mortifying and has me immediately shoving my face into the warm chest to hide the blush I feel nipping my cheeks.

"You have many questions, and the least I can do is answer those questions," I feel warmth spread through my neck as Horan caresses it.

Willing down the blush and purr I felt brewing, I slowly detach myself from the nice embrace; but, instead of sitting across from Horan, as I expected to, he tightens his arms around my waist and keeps me on my lap.

"I don't deserve to," Horan begins as I shoot him a perplexed look. "but, I would like to have some kind of physical contact with you; but, if it makes you uncomfortable, then you can sit any where you want."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, for bookmarking, for leaving kudos, and for commenting! ♥


	11. Chapter Six: Part Three (Final Part)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam finally makes an entrance; Louis and Harry begin solving the complexity that is Harry's life; and, Niall's dead set on not having Harry while having Harry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "An Alpha's Jealousy," is a fanfiction that in no way reflects reality or gives proof to speculations.

"Why?" I blurt out before blushing when I notice his cocked eyebrows and tilted head. "Why do you want to have physical contact with me? You h hat ate me."

My last words come out chopped as my vocal chords clench and freeze, not wanting to say those words-words that made the thing whine.

"Never!" My attention jerks towards Horan, who had a despairing expression etched on his face as his eyes glinted with tears. "I could never, never hate you."

The words, so sincere and firm, startled me; and, before I can respond, I'm thrown into my spiritual form as the thing takes control.

"Hey!" I growl as I glare at the thing, who was now in front with a wagging tail. "I didn't give you permission to do that!"

"I don't need your permission," The thing snarls as it snaps its teeth at me before returning its attention to the external environment; releasing a snarl, I get up from the pink floor and began stalking towards the thing only to freeze when I feel warm hands against my cheeks.

"But, there's no one else here?" Looking around, I was greeted by pink walls, pink floors, and the thing; but, there was no one else. "So, then, why do I feel like hands are pressed against my cheek?"

Tension floods into every muscle as I break into a run towards the thing; but, when it growls and snaps its jowls at me, I retreat while keeping the external environment in my view.

"I'm so sorry, Alpha!" The sob that came out of my mouth was all controlled by the thing, as were the following words. "I'm so, so sorry! I'm a failure as a mate, and do not deserve such kindness!"

"Nonsense, love," Horan firmly growls as he wipes away the tears the thing was producing. " you have not failed me, but I have; my Niall has done nothing but treat you with cold disrespect and degraded you over and over. I have no right to hold you-or to even call myself your Alpha."

The thing whips my head from side to side as it makes me tightly grip Horan's black muscle shirt before rapidly speaking in a breathless, needy tone: "No! No, Alpha, you deserve to be my Alpha-you are my Alpha! Please, please, don't say that! I want you! I want you, unless..."

My voice the thing was using breaks in half; it was only after the thing allowed my burning lungs to breathe did it continue.

"Unless you don't wa want me," It was pitiful, how soft and heart-broken my voice was, but it seemed to ignite a passionate response in Horan, who immediately pulled me into his chest as he began speaking softly but firmly in my ear, which, even in my spiritual state, tingled.

"I want you, do you understand? I want you; I crave you; I desire you; and, I want to love you-both of you," My spiritual form jerks back as I gaze out at the external environment in shock.

"He wants to love both of us?" Shaking my head, I try to break through the mist of confusion settling over my mind, but it remains. "What does he mean? He hates me!"

"Didn't you hear him?" Green eyes move to blue as the thing turns to me with a wagging tail. "He said, "My Niall," meaning this isn't the Horan you know, but Horan's wolf; and, Horan's wolf is different from Horan the person."

All I can do is stare at the thing in shock and continue to do so before I finally find my voice.

"Wh Why does he want to love me, huh?" My own voice makes me cringe as I step back and sit on the pink floor. "I don't want an Alpha; I don't want to become a slut-I just want love."

"Talk to him, then," Green eyes dart up to the thing, who was now in front of me wearing soft blue eyes. "You'll find you and Niall aren't as different as you believe, Harry-and that Niall may be exactly what you desire."

Examining the black furred face and sincere eyes, I inhale before standing up and taking control, uncertainty and doubt dictating every movement.

"Can I really trust that thing?" I silently wondered as I hesitated before the external environment, my eyes staring at the pink form my spiritual form was standing on top of. "I mean, he wants Horan, so may be he's lying."

"But," My upper teeth catch my bottom lip by surprise as I begin nibbling on it, delving deeper and deeper into my thoughts. "he, Horan, well, wolf-Horan, said he wanted to "love us both," meaning what though? Does he want to love my thing and me as well? Why love me, though, if he's going to allow me to be used? You don't do that with someone you love!"

Releasing a groan, I bend over and place my head in my palms as my lips part and shakily inhale shallow gasps.

"It's confusing," I seethed as I clenched my eyes shut. "I liked it better when things weren't complicated like this."

"Actually, it's far more simpler than you realize," I lift my head and turn towards the thing when I heard its voice; but, before I can inquire about its vague words, it slams into me and pushes out into the external environment.

Shaking my head, I gather my bearings as I settle into my physical body before blinking and clearing away the mist covering my eyes.

"Are you okay, Harry?" Green eyes snap up from the tilted floor to wolf-Horan, whose red eyes mirrored the concern in his voice.

"Why do you care?" Flinching at my harsh tone, I clench my eyes shut and brace myself for any physical damage, but none comes.

"I admit, I have a long way to go before I can ever prove myself worthy of being your Alpha and lover," Re-opening my eyes, I examine wolf-Horan's open, sincere, and understand face. "but, no matter how long it takes, I will always care for you."

"But why?" Ruby eyes blink at my sudden question, so, taking the obvious signs of confusion into consideration, I push on. "Why do you care for me? Because I'm an Omega?"

"I care for you because you're my mate," Wolf-Horan softly explains as he gives me a sweet smile, one that I pretend doesn't have my heart stuttering in my chest. "I admit, that's one an answer any one wants to hear because, let's face it, who wants to be loved just because they're mates by default? So, while I care for you because you're my mate, I also want to care for you and love you because you're Harry-that is, if you would allow me."

"Why?" The question is no louder than a whisper as I intensely gaze into wolf-Horan's eyes, seeking an answer that would answer all my questions. "Why do you want to love me when you hate me?"

"I don't hate you, Harry," Wolf-Horan gives me a sad smile as he averts his gaze. "I never did; but, Niall, well, it's complicated. He's insecure, and with the things from his past..."

Curiosity curls around my heart as wolf-Horan trails off, leaving me wonder if Horan was really insecure and what his past entails.

"Niall is Niall," Wolf-Horan finishes as he meets my gaze and gives me a sheepish smile. "and, I know that's satisfactory, but it's the only way I can explain it."

"I know you don't trust me," I maintain my eye contact with the taller male as he continues speaking. "so, I won't ask you to; but, please, believe in yourself, Harry, to make a decision you won't regret."

"And if that means not wanting any thing to do with you?" I wait for his response, noticing the flinch he made and how his eyes clouded with sorrow.

"Then, as long as you're happy, I'll respect it," I blink in astonishment as I look into wolf-Horan's tight face. "but, even though I don't deserve it, could you give me the opportunity to prove myself?"

Biting my bottom lip, I try to avert my gaze, but something stops me from looking away from those eyes that gazed at me with so much hope.

"O Okay," I breathe, not certain if it's the right answer but not feeling any regret from it either.

"Thank you," Wolf-Horan gives me an ear-splitting grin that immediately takes my breath away at how it opens up his face: his eyes glow with joy, his cheeks flush with happiness, the crease between his eyebrows disappears, and all the deep lines marring his forehead softens.

Quickly averting my gaze, I scratch my cheeks in an attempt to disguise the red hot blush marring my cheeks and ears, but, before I scratch my cheek more than two times, my hand is caught in a loose, warm grip.

"May I..." Wolf-Horan begins, red eyes gleaming with hope before they look towards the floor as a blush starts creeping along his cheeks.

"He's so cute," I cooed, momentarily stunned by the sight of a prideful man so human. "Wait, I didn't think that! I didn't think he was cute; I was merely surprised to see a man I've seen as prideful look, well, less prideful."

Shoving any other thought of how wolf-Horan looked away, I examine the man's face before pressing on.

" "May I" what?" Maintaining my examination, I push wolf-Horan to complete his sentence.

"May I...?" The question starts off audible but quickly fades into distant mumbling.

Sighing, and shoving down the cute thoughts of how wolf-Horan looked and the fond smile I felt creeping along my lips, I impulsively tilt his chin upwards, because I was still seated in his lap, with my index finger.

"You can ask," Blood pools in my cheeks as the crimson eyes gaze at me with an intensity that has my fingers twitching and body squirming.

"May I kiss you?" I was not expecting that shyly asked question and jerked back in shock as I searched the blonde's face for any hints of a prank; but, nothing but sincerity and hope showed up.

"Wh Wh What?" The mouse voice that slips out of my mouth is high, squeaky, and barely a whisper.

"M May I kiss you?" Wolf-Horan's burst into flames as he averts his gaze. "It's just, well, I haven't been able to touch you for a while, and you smell like someone else, which kind of irritates me and saddens me that someone made you happier than I could."

My jaw was long gone as it hit the floor and rolled off as I was subjected to the image of an embarrassed, shy, and insecure wolf-Horan.

"Oh, god, he is so cute," I couldn't stop myself from purring, mentally and physically, at wolf-Horan and his actions. "Damn, how can I say no now? Do I even want to say no?"

It's an astonishing revelation when, after observing my body, I realize that: no, I don't.

"I actually want to kiss Horan," I thought in disbelief before shaking my head and correcting myself. "No, this isn't Horan, but wolf-Horan, who apparently is really kind, sweet, loving-"

"Every thing you desire, right?" The thing whispers from the back of my head, startling me and shocking me even more.

"It's right," Surrendering immediately, I gaze at wolf-Horan, who had his eyes trained on the floor. "Every thing wolf-Horan's doing now embodies what I crave: the perfect love."

Licking my dry lips, my mouth opens as I inhale and exhale noting the trembling gushes I took in and released, before finally speaking.

"O Okay," Although he embodied every thing I craved, there was something about wolf-Horan that made me want to say yes-to both his kiss and love.

I shake my head again and focus on wolf-Horan, whose red eyes were gleaming with happiness but uncertainty.

"Are you certain, Harry? I don't want to force you," Wolf-Horan loosens his arms to reinforce his message: you have a choice.

Feeling warmth explode inside my head, I'm taken under by giddiness at wolf-Horan's actions.

"I'm certain," I breathe when the intoxicating warm mist evaporates, leaving me breathless and excited.

"Are you, sure? I can-" What ever wolf-Horan was about to say is lose as I let out a growl, a human one, before crashing our lips together.

It isn't at all like Adrian's and I's, which was messy and uncoordinated; instead, it's as if our lips were puzzle pieces made to connect: our lips smoothly course over one another's, mirroring each other's slow, languid pace.

"It's intoxicating," The thought briefly makes an appearance before its lost underneath the haze clouding my brain as I felt my lip subjected to the gentlest kiss ever.

As if the haze weren't enough, a familiar heat begins slithering through my veins and coiling in my lower abdomen when I finally notice the constant brush of cold metal tease my lips.

"Oh, god," I thought as I moaned at the cool sensation, that seemed to fuel the heat until it was consuming my whole stomach, as my body began trembling.

Air, something I was used to breathing, stopped coming, but I barely noticed or cared-all my attention focused on this one kiss, that remained smooth and slow but grew warmer and hotter. I vaguely notice my arms wrapping around wolf-Horan's neck as one hand busied itself with caressing the fluffy blonde hair while the other hand busied itself with dipping underneath wolf-Horan's shirt and skimming over the warm, soft skin covering his back.

"His back is so amazing," The thought was only reinforced when I felt muscles instinctively flex against my hand, clearly not used to the touch. " Oh, yes."

The pleasure was overwhelming, and only amplified when I felt coarse hands slip underneath my shirt and run along my sides before grasping my hips in a vice-like grip, a grip that had another moan spilling out of my lips only to be swallowed whole by wolf-Horan's mouth.

We remain like that for eternity before our bodies remind us of our need for oxygen.

"Don't want to pull away, though," My mind was filled with cottons, and my thoughts were jumbled. "More. I want more-need more."

However, when wolf-Horan breaks away, I realize I didn't get a choice in the matter; but, I made sure he knew my displeasure by the pout covering my lips and the needy whine I released.

"You're going to be the death of me," Wolf-Horan breathes, as his voice drops underneath his panting.

"Same," My reply is no better than his: thick, ragged, and lustful; and, the flames devouring my lower abdomen only grows larger when I notice a thin trail of saliva connecting our lips-prove of our heated kiss. Biting the inside of my cheek, I refrain from moaning and letting out another embarrassing sound as I lick my bottom lip, effectively breaking the connection.

"Thank you," Dark green eyes collide with red eyes tinged with black spots. "for letting me do that."

Blushing a blood blush, I shyly duck my head and peer up at him from underneath my eyelashes.

"You don't have to thank me; I..." My upper teeth snag my bottom lip as I nibble on it for a moment, shuddering when his eyes tracked my movement and darkened as a result, before continuing. "I really enjoyed it."

"Me too," Wolf-Horan forces his eyes away from my lip to my gaze as he gives me another breath-taking smile.

"What is it about you?" I silently wondered as I examined wolf-Horan's face. "What is it about you that makes me want to let you love me-that makes me want to love you? What is it about you that makes me want to get to know you and come to care for you? Is it my thing's doing? Is it me? I don't know. I just don't know; but, I do know one thing: I don't want this moment to end."

"What?" There's a shy, insecure smile on wolf-Horan's lips when I return from my thoughts.

"I don't know," I whisper as I brush my hand through his hair, noting the softness and the way he shuddered when my nails accidentally scratched the back of his head near his neck. "I don't know, but there's something about you that makes me want this- us. If only you didn't end up using me."

"Using you? What are you talking about?" Staring into confused eyes, I freeze in my movements as I tilt my head to the side.

"You know what I'm talking about," I state, but my voice wavers as I take in the sincere bewilderment adorning his face.

"I don't," Wolf-Horan shook his head as he gently grasped my cheeks between the palms of his hand. "but, I do know this: werewolves work similar to wolves, but, unlike wolves, werewolves have only one destined partner, emotionally and sexually, and that's their mates. And, Harry, you're my mate."

Jerking back, I desperately scan his face for any hints of lie before internally smacking myself.

"Don't get fooled!" I silently hiss to myself. "I mean, sure, if that's true, then that would be awesome because I I like wolf-Horan. He's every thing I desire; but, the truth is what it is."

Pushing down the tears and pain suddenly brewing in my eyes, I force a grin as I bluntly ignore wolf-Horan's concerned look and my thing's growling.

"Never mind," Humming, I give wolf-Horan a forced smile as I continue my ministrations, finding them soothing and stress-relieving.

"Harry," The tone that wolf-Horan alerts me to his awareness of the sincerity of my smile, but I stop him in his tracks.

"Please," I beg, revealing every insecurity and fear in that one word-the one word wolf-Horan obeys.

"Okay," He whispers before tugging me closer and situating me so my head was nestled between the corner connecting wolf-Horan's shoulder and neck; I don't fight him and even go as far as to lean into the embrace. Inhaling, I let the aroma of chocolates and nature flood my veins and lull me into a state of tranquility, one that's only interrupted by the rise and fall of wolf-Horan's addicting rumbles.

My eyes are half-way closed when wolf-Horan lets out a frustrated growl, instantly putting into an alert state as I lifted my head and looked up at the taller male.

"I'm sorry, love," Red eyes look down at me as sorrow rolls in again. "but, it seems Niall isn't going to sit still any longer."

"I see," Releasing a thick sigh, I slowly begin detaching myself from wolf-Horan, only to pause when he gently grabs my chin and tilts my head up so our eyes collided.

"Remember this, Harry: wolves are very protective and possessive of their mates because they're destined for that one individual," Wolf-Horan quietly states as his thumb draws shapes into my cheek. "so, no matter what, I will always be protective and possessive of you-because you're my mate."

I can't will myself to look away, so I just continue to gaze into the sincere eyes he wore.

"I have a long way to go before I can prove myself worthy of you," Wolf-Horan continues as he stops drawing shapes into my cheek. "and, I have a just as long journey to fall in love with you, but I've already taken the first steps."

"First steps?" I tilt my head and examine the mirth gleaming from wolf-Horan's eyes.

"Yeah, first steps," He whispers quietly as he leans in. "First step as in liking your green eyes and how they light up and darken with every emotion you feel."

My eyes immediately flutter close when he softly kisses my left cheek before re-opening when he continued.

"First step as in liking your strength and courage," Wolf-Horan hums as he presses another soft, chaste kiss on my face, this time on my right cheek.

"First step as in liking your reactions to certain situations," He continued as he pressed his lips against my forehead.

"First step as in liking your ability to accept emotions that make you human," Wolf-Horan pressed onwards, praising me as he scattered kisses all around my face, from my nose, to my chin, and to, finally, my lips.

"First steps as in beginning to like you," The moment those words escaped wolf-Horan's mouth, I felt my heart stutter and race as untamable hope blossomed in my chest; and, it certainly did not help my heart when he placed a kiss on my lips.

However, I didn't get the opportunity to return it before he pulled away with a grin.

"Remember what I said, Harry," Wolf-Horan takes my hand and presses his lips against my knuckles while maintaining our eye contact. "Please."

With stiff vocal chords and a knotted tongue, all I can do under the onslaught of affection is nod my head and stop my body from trembling to much.

"Good," Wolf-Horan smiles that one smile that absolutely destroys my heart before gently picking me up and standing, placing me on my feet as he did so. "Let me fall deeper in like with you, Harry, until I reach love-but, fall me for me as well."

My dry, pink tongue slips out of my mouth and waters my chapped lips as I nod my head once more, pressing a kiss against the palm wolf-Horan had laid against my cheek as he spoke; and, I couldn't stop from grinning or the heat that re-ignited in my lower abdomen when I notice wolf-Horan's eyes darkening as a result.

"I'm sorry for what ever Niall says," He whispers quietly as he leans down and presses a quick kiss against my lips. "Know he isn't speaking for me when he says the things he does."

All I do is nod my head and try to chase his retreating lips, but am stopped by his index finger; giving him a pout, he grins wolfishly before caressing my cheek and stepping back.

Immediately, red eyes, sharp teeth, and black claws are replaced with human features as Horan regains control; and, when frozen mountains meet my gaze, I brace myself for the battle that would no doubt ensue between us.

It doesn't occur.

Instead, Horan doubles over and lets out a pained groan as he grips his head between his palms; compassion instantly rushes through my veins as I sympathetically view the taller male.

"Are you alright?" I impulsively take a step forward as I ask the question laced with concern while settling a hand on his arm; but, before I can assess his well-being any further, flames engulf my hand as Horan roughly slaps my hand off of his arm.

" I don't need your sympathy, Styles," Horan seethes as his blue eyes narrow into slits. "and I sure as hell don't need your concern."

Letting my promise to wolf-Horan fly out of my head, I snarl at Horan and squash down the hurt bubbling in my chest.

"Oh, so sorry, Horan," Snapping at the taller male, I take a few steps back and cross my arms over my chest to refrain from using them to attack Horan like I usually did. "I just thought it would be nice to have someone care for you because I know concern must come few and far between."

"I don't need any one's concern, or yours for that matter," Horan growls, blue eyes blazing torches as he glared at me. "If it weren't for you throwing yourself at that guy, then I wouldn't be in the situation I'm in! It's hard enough dealing with this thing between us; I really don't need the added burden of having to watch over you."

"Then don't!" Hissing my response, I tightly grip my arms and dig my white nails into the skin as I return Horan's heated glare. " You can go about your business, and I'll go about mine! And, next time, do try to refrain from scaring away my chance at love; it's irritating."

Horan's reaction is immediate: he throws his head back and releases a cold, cynical laugh.

"Love? Wake up to the real world, Styles: love doesn't exist!" Horan looks me dead in the eye as his laughter dies off and is replaced with a vicious smirk. "It's just a myth, a fairytale, to get fools like you to believe there's happiness in this dirty, filthy, world; but, hey, don't despair: there's always lust!"

An uninhibited growl rips out of my mouth, my glare intensifying as my hands gripped my arms even harder.

"And, I'm sure that gets you by, doesn't it, Horan?" Examining the blonde haired male, I remain planted to the ground as I continue. "Sleeping with any warm body willing to take you while not feeling a damn thing. It must be the high life!"

Fury was coursing through my veins as I continued; and, with my knuckles as white as a sheet, I grip my arms even harder as I refrain from attacking the taller male-or worst, whining like the thing was doing inside me.

"May be it does, Styles," It was as if a bucket full of cold water had been splashed on me when Horan finally responded; all my anger disappeared as I impulsively took a step back and stared at Horan in shock. "and may be you're just jealous that I'm satisfied with where I'm at while you're foolishly chasing after an unattainable, idealistic dream," 

The sadistic smirk etched on Horan's lips on amplifies the agony clotting my veins.

"H He slept with other people?" It was a frozen thought, mirroring my frozen body, that only increased the anguish I feel devouring my body as the unfiltered image of Horan touching another, kissing another, loving another.

I bite my tongue so hard blood instantly pools in my mouth as my tongue pulsates in pain, but the momentary distraction allowed me to shove down the tears, pain, and whine before focusing my attention on my sadistic companion.

"May be I am chasing after a foolish dream," My voice is bleak but steady, and it disguises the affliction I was battling internally. "but, you know what, Niall? At least I'm faithful, compared to you, whose dictionary has never even heard of commitment." 

With those departing words, I quickly turn on my heels and stalk off, not rubbing my eyes, which had begun to release water droplets, until I turned the corner and entered the nearest male restroom.

"I'm not sad; why would I be sad? Horan's a jerk and has no sense of commitment," Pretending I wasn't crying and wasn't in pain, I enter the farthest stall, fasten the lock, and drop to the floor while supporting my back against the green wall. "Love him? I was out of my mind when I thought that! I could never love him-and, you know what, I don't want to, either! Who would want to love a vicious, sadistic, cruel, degrading, man like that? Not me, that's for sure!"

Involuntarily, wolf-Horan's words reappeared and begin echoing throughout my ears.

"I could never, never hate you."

"Lies," I mentally growled as I shoved my head between my bent legs. "It's all just lies. You can hate me; you just don't want to lose warm body number one."

"I want you, do you understand?"

"No, I don't," I silently respond as if I were actually talking to the person rather than the memory. "and, honestly, I don't want to! All you do is lie, and lie, and lie. You don't want me; you just want my body. You'll never want me-and, you'll never love me. But that's just fine because I don't want your love-not that you're capable of it."

Even though I said it so firmly to myself, the memories kept coming and continued to break down what walls I had begun to build.

"I want to love you."

"You want to love my body," Once more, I respond to the memory's echo. "but, you don't want to love me-you can't, any way. You're not capable of love, and I don't want your love."

And yet, even as I said it to myself, I recalled that breathtaking smile, that undeniable, intoxicating joy-and that kiss. That one erotic, exotic, addicting kiss that made me feel things I've only dreamed of feeling.

"It was perfect," Tears slipped out of my eyelids before I could stop them. "It was perfect." 

But, instead of ruby eyes, an image of blue eyes gazing at me as we kissed flashed before my eyes.

"What am I thinking?" Whipping my head side-to-side, I push away the image, but it returns with vividness. "I don't like Horan, and I certainly don't want to kiss him!"

Then, why did my chest ache so much?

"It's just heartburn," I deny the feeling and continue to shove away the image and the memory's echoes. "I'm only interested in Horan because he actually has a human side to him. That's all!"

"He's insecure, and with the things from his past..."

"So what?" Violent trembles racked my form as the argument with myself cycled onwards. 

You're interested, and you know it.

"Like hell I am!" Snarling, I shriek the words inside my head as I denied my curiosity-the emotion I felt bubbling inside my chest.

You want to know what happened; you want to know what made Niall this cynical.

"It's Horan, and like hell I do!" I refuted my subconscious' claims as I clenched my eyes shut, wishing every thing to go away, but, instead, the memory's echoes grew stronger.

"I will always be protective and possessive of you-because you're my mate."

You desire him.

"No, I don't!" I silently refute.

"First step as in liking your strength and courage."

You want to know him.

"No!" Another refute came from me, but this time I used my voice and vaguely noticed the hoarseness coating it.

"First step as in liking your ability to accept emotions that make you human."

"I don't want any thing Horan has!" I hiss as I squeeze my eyes shut, but my subconscious, just like the memories, pressed on.

"First steps as in beginning to like you." 

"Shut up," I briefly notice my voice suddenly go still as an earthquake began violently shaking my body.

You want to know the real him.

"Shut up," Again, my voice came out steadily, but was louder.

You want his love.

"Shut up," The trembles racking my form grew stronger,

as my voice grew louder.

You want to kiss him-

"Shut up," Growling, I hiss the double words again.

"First step as in liking your green eyes and how they light up and darken with every emotion you feel."

"Shut up," I slam my hands over my ears, in hopes of blocking out the echo, as I snarl the words again.

Touch him

"First step as in liking your reactions to certain situations."

Love him.

"...werewolves have only one destined partner, emotionally and sexually, and that's their mates. And, Harry, you're my mate."

You want him.

"Shut up!" Like a caged animal, I strike out my arm and violently slam it into the wall behind me as I let out a war cry and bask in the snakes swallowing my hand and arm.

When everything finally goes quite, I let out a shaky sigh, objectively observing my heaving chest as it rose and fell erratically but in alignment with my racing heart; and, as if I had ran a marathon, I release a gasp and lean against the stall, all the energy draining from my body while my arms dangled near my ribs and my head lolled from side to side.

It takes me a while to realize I've fallen into a familiar state, one that seems to numb my senses and detach me from emotions, but it takes me even longer to stand up and, after checking out the crate marring the stall I had leaned on and hit, leave the stall. Once I manage to get out of the restroom, I begin leisurely walking towards home; I don't stop to let Lou know or get my things. I just go home, walk through the front door, ignore the silent house, walk into my bedroom, and throw myself on the bed, letting darkness instantly sweep me away into a fitful rest where red eyes caressed me while blue shunned me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, commenting, bookmarking, and leaving kudos! ♥


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